


My Fair Jedi

by MarMar1917



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, star wars alternative universe - Fandom
Genre: Anastasia (1997) References, F/M, Finn POV, Fluff, Lots of Details, Musical References, My Fair Lady - Freeform, POV Ben Solo, POV Rey (Star Wars), Phasma POV, Phasma Ships It, Poe Dameron POV, Professor Ben Solo, Protective Poe Dameron, Rey Kenobi, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey needs a teacher, Reylo - Freeform, Star Wars AU, Street Urchin Rey, Sweeney Todd References, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, bachelor ben solo, dogfight musical, dogfight musical references, finn and rose are friends, hand holding, london based, my fair lady musical, my fair lady references, poe dameron best friend, posh ben solo, posh poe dameron, rey and ben solo, rey and ben touch hands, rey needs bath, reylo au, second fanfiction, this is going to be long af, writing instead of doing homework
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2020-04-24 10:38:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 50,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19171573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarMar1917/pseuds/MarMar1917
Summary: Rey Kenobi was a flower girl on the streets of London trying to become a lady in a flower shop, but the way she spoke and was dressed kept her in the gutter.Ben Solo was a Professor in Elocution, a Professor of the English language and how it is spoken.What will happen when the two drastically different people's lives collide?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> MY SECOND FANFICTION!!! AND YES IT IS ANOTHER REYLO!!! I love these two idiots and want to write about them forever!!  
> This story is based on the musical/movie "My Fair Lady" staring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. I cut many character out of the musical so the story wouldn't be too confusing. And I will include some of the song lyrics in the story. BUT this is my interpretation of the musical and how it would fit Ben and Rey. Hope you guys like it!!

Chapter 1

 

London 1912

 

Rey Kenobi

 

Rey Kenobi had been born in the gutter and most likely to die in the gutter. She had made her peace with it after trying for years to find her parents who left her and after a series of rejections from working in flower shops. Each rejection was followed by the excuse that she didn’t look or speak the part of a high-end flower shop girl. She was content with selling her bundles of flowers in front of the theater or on the market place streets, getting only a credit or two for each bundle. It would buy her next meal and the rest would be put into paying for her small apartment. She was free to do what she wanted, within reason and her pocketbook, but she was content. Not happy but content with what she had in her life, but she was always looking to see if she could do better and maybe become a lady in a flower shop one day. She was not the type of woman to take a had out from some bloke on the street, she knew of other women who did that and she supported them for earning their way, but she was a good girl in her mind and she would rather work hard than to take something without earning it. 

 

It was a late night in April when she was selling her flowers in the market place when she remembered that the theater would be getting out soon. She grabbed her flower basket and started walking to the theater, she usually made more than 10 credits when people left the theater. The people were happy leaving whatever they had just seen, and they wanted to treat the person they brought. She would smile and sell her flowers, inside she would wish to see a show in the theater someday and wear the lovely dresses that the women wore rather than her raggedy tan dress. She had this dress for years now, it went down to her mid-calf and was long sleeved, it was worn out in the elbows and the hem was undone. But it was the first dress she had made, and she loved it, she wore her brown boots which the soles of the shoes were becoming thin, her black tights riddled with holes and her look was complete with a brown trench coat with a black belt to fasten it around her waist. She always tried to look her best while selling her flowers, she would wash her face and try not to get dirt on it. She had a round face with hazel eyes and a smattering of freckles covering her nose and cheeks, she couldn’t afford make up, so she would pinch her cheeks to make them red like the women of high fashion. Her hair was always tied up in three buns, it was easier to keep them out of her face while she made and sold her bundles. 

 

As she walked to the theater the heavens opened up and it began to rain on her, she cursed under her breath and held her arm over her head trying to protect her face from the rain. She loved living in London but the weather here was terrible, it would be sunny one minute and raining the next. She paused on the sidewalk before trying to cross the street to the theater, the crowd had let out and there was a commotion of people trying to hail taxi’s or carriages to go home. When she found a break in the traffic, she jogged across the street and focused on the ground in front of her. All of a sudden, a body collided into her, knocking her and her basket over onto the ground. Her flower bundles spilling onto the muddy cobblestone street, she started gathering up her flowers and placing them into her basket.

 

“Gahh look where you’re going dearie. Look where you’re going.” She said, looking up at the man who knocked her over. He was tall and dressed in a tuxedo, obviously just getting out of the theater and trying to get a ride home. 

 

“I’m so sorry ma’am.” He said, not bothering to look down at her. His eyes still focused on the street ahead of him. 

 

“Finn, go find us a taxi.” A woman waiting by the theater yelled at the man standing above her.

 

“Alright Rose.” He said and ran to find another taxi up the street.

 

Rey stood up after gathering her flowers and ran over to the theater and sat on one of the columns out of the rain, she sat and started fixing her flower bundles. As she fixed her bundles she stared at the beautifully dressed woman, she was shorter than Rey and had a fair complexion that contrasted her dark hair and equally dark eyes. She wore a long-sleeved floor-length olive-green dress with a black shall that covered her shoulders but didn’t prevent the rain from getting her wet. 

 

“If your husband was a gentleman he would have offered to pay for the damaged bundles. A full day’s wages down the drain.” Rey remarked.

 

The woman looked down at Rey with a disgusted look before turning back to face the street that was still engulfed by rain.

 

“Silly girl, that’s my friend not my husband.” She huffed.

 

“Well, if your friend was a gentleman he would have paid for the flowers he ruined. Or if you were a kind lady you would have offered to pay for them too.” Rey said as she watched the woman turn and walk a few feet away from where she sat.

 

What a great and kind woman, Rey complained in her head. The people with the most money who could afford to be kind never were. She watched the lady walk up to a poshly dressed man wearing a top hat who had jut crossed the rainy street.

 

“Sir, do you think the rain will stop soon?” The woman asked.

 

“Ma’am it’s worse than before.” He answered kindly.

 

“If it’s worse than before, that’s a sign that it’s nearly over Captn.” Rey interjected with a smile.

 

The pair turned to look at her. The man smiled at her and stepped closer to her, trying to avoid the downpour on the street. The woman huffed again and walked further away.

 

“Buy a flower off a poor girl Captn?” She asked, offering him the nicest one of her bunch.

 

“I’m sorry ma’am. I don’t have any loose credits on me.” He said.

 

He looked down at her with dark brown eyes and a kind smile as he spoke. Under his hat she could see some wisps of chocolate colored curls, his skin was a sandy tan color as if he wasn’t a full-time resident of London but a world traveler.

 

“That’s okay Captn. I’m just a flower girl tryin to make a livin’ here on the streets.” She smiled as she laid on the guilt and charm she could muster.

 

The man’s smile faltered a bit as he reached into his pocket.

 

“Oh, I do have some credits.” He said in surprise. He handed her 5 credits and she gave him the bundle she had fixed up.

 

As she put the money into her hidden pocket book a slimy looking man walked up next to her and leaned down next to her ear and whispered to her.

 

“Best be careful what you say love. The gent sitting on the other side is writin’ down every bloomin’ word you say.” He said quietly before walking away.

 

Rey sat there in stunned silence for a few moments, she felt as if she had been slapped in the face. Who would be writing down what she said? Was it a police officer who thought she was trying to sell herself to the Captn? 

 

“Oh no,” she exclaimed. “I have the right to speak to whoever I bloody well want to.” 

 

Her voice was raised, and she could feel the hot tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She didn’t want to be dragged down to the station to be questioned for something she didn’t do.

 

“What’s wrong ma’am?” The gentleman in the top hat asked. He knelt next to her and held her hand, trying to comfort her. 

 

“Some bloke is writing down everything I say. I don’t want to be arrested. I’m a good girl, I am.” She said, trying not to let the tears come out.

 

She was so focused on her fear that she didn’t notice the dark figure emerge from behind the pillar where she was sitting.

 

“Calm down you silly woman and stop that dreadful noise.” The stranger told her.

 

She turned and looked up at this rude man, he towered over her seated position. He was dressed in a simple black suit with a white shirt under. She looked up at his face, he was handsome. His eyes were so dark they were almost black, his pale face was covered with brown beauty marks and his face was framed by black wavy hair. His features looked like they were chiseled from marble, they were strikingly beautiful but at the same time felt dangerous to touch. His eyes were staring deep into her soul with such intensity it made her want to crumble into a ball and run away, but she held her ground.

 

“I don’t want to be arrested for talking to the Captn. I’m a good girl I am.” She pleaded again to the stranger and the gentleman.

 

The stranger smiled slyly and calmly spoke to them. “The only thing you should be arrested for is the murder of the English tongue.” He then showed them his notebook, it was full of strange markings that looked like a foreign language.

 

“I can’t read it.” She said quietly

 

“Well I can. It says ‘That’s okay Captn. I’m just a flower girl tryin to make a livin’ here on the streets’” he translated for her, mocking her accent as he said it.

 

“Oh, its cause I called him Captn.” She turned to the gentleman and said, “I’m sorry sir. Please don’t let him take me to the police station. I’m a good girl I am!”

 

“Ma’am you will not be going anywhere, you did nothing wrong.” He told her, letting go of her hand and standing up to address the stranger. “My good sir, why did you write down everything she was saying? She was doing nothing wrong.”

 

“It’s because of her ghastly accent of course. I am an Elocution Professor, I study different dialects and speech patterns from all over the world. I can tell the country and providence the person hails from just after hearing them speak for two maybe three minutes. And if they are from London I can place them within a block of their residence.” The stranger said with great pride.

 

The gentleman looked surprised but interested in the stranger’s strange career.

 

“Is there a livelihood in that?” The gentleman asked.

 

“Yes, there is. I can teach anyone to speech with a proper English verbiage and cadence. Look at her, a prisoner of the gutter because she is condemned by every syllable she utters.” The stranger said, while gesturing at Rey.

 

“Aaowww!” She said in a protest to his claim. She had been educated and taught how to read and write and talk to people.

 

“’Aaowww!’ What a noise! This is what the British population calls an elementary education.” The stranger said with sarcasm dripping from his voice.

 

“Come, sir, I think you picked a poor example.” The gentleman said.

 

“I ask you, sir, what sort of word is ‘Aaowww’? It’s ‘Aaowww’ that keep her in her place. Not her wretched clothes or dirty face. If you spoke as she does, sir, instead of the way you do, you might be selling flowers too.” The stranger retorted. 

 

“Who are you sir? I dabble with languages myself, focusing on middle eastern and desert languages.” The gentleman asked.

 

“I am Ben Solo, Elocution Professor. Do you know Poe Dameron, I’ve heard he is the leading master in those subjects? I’ve been trying to find time to meet him.” The stranger said. 

 

“I am Poe Dameron! I’ve come out here to meet you, Ben Solo!” The gentleman replied with great excitement. “Are you as good as everyone’s says you are? Where is this young lady from?” 

 

Rey looked confused, her eyes shifting between the two men who were now standing next to each other.

 

“She’s from London, grew up in the slums of Jakku by the Niima Outpost.” The stranger, Ben Solo stated with such assurance. 

 

Rey stared at him with an open mouth, who was this man? He could tell exactly where she lived just by her talking. 

 

“You are a busybody! And no gentleman!” She said no longer trying to her the ferocity in her voice. This man had insulted her, scared her and was just plain mean to her!

 

“My good man you are impressive with locating people based on their dialects, but could you really teach someone proper English?” The gentleman, Poe Dameron asked.

 

“I could turn this gutter rat flower girl into a Princess just by teaching her proper English. If she was able to retain the language changes and dialect differences she could even become a shop assistant which requires better English than anyone else.” Ben Solo replied.

 

“What was that yous said?” Rey’s ears perked up when she heard shop assistant. Could this rude man really teach her how to become a lady in a shop? 

 

“Yes, you terrible excuse for an English language. I could teach you how to speak properly enough that you could fool The Queen herself.” Ben Solo said turning to face her with a sly smile on his face. He turned back to Poe Dameron and asked, “Dameron, where are you staying?” 

 

“Well, I am staying up at the Crait Hotel on 16th street.” Poe Dameron replied. 

 

“No, that won’t do. You will stay with me at 2187 Millennium Falcon Street.” Ben Solo smiled at the other man. They started walking toward the now dry street to catch a cab to his home.

 

Rey got up and ran to intercept the two men. 

 

“Care to buy a flower off a poor girl?” She asked Ben Solo. She looked up at him and offered him her best smile.

 

“I wouldn’t buy anything from you, because I have no idea what you just said.” He snickered.  
Rey stood there dumbstruck again. This time she didn’t feel fear or sadness, she felt anger and she unleased it on him.

 

“YOU OUGHT TO BE STUFFED WITH NAILS!!! HERE TAKE THE WHOLE BLOOMIN’ BASKET!!” She yelled and kicked her basket toward him. It landed next to him standing upright.

 

“Madam.” Ben Solo said and dropped credits into her basket. 

 

He turned back and began a new conversation with Poe Dameron as they hailed a cab to take them away. Rey ran over to her basket and pulled out and began counting the credits he had given her. She finished counting the credits and was astonished, he had given her 15 credits. Nobody had ever given her that much before, and he didn’t even take a flower bundle. 

 

Who was the Ben Solo who lived on 2187 Millennium Falcon Street?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that our unlikely meeting has taken place, will our two protagonists ever meet again by fate? Or will someone put an effort in and look for the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! My posting schedule will be every Monday morning to post a new chapter. I might be taking one or two Mondays off for travel but I will try and post on Tuesday a new chapter!

Chapter 2

 

Rey Kenobi

 

Rey walked the streets of London back to her small apartment. She was thinking about what Ben Solo had said about her and how he could change her. He said that he could turn her into a Princess, she laughed out loud at the thought. All she wanted was to be a lady in a shop and to have a better apartment than she currently had. She had no interest in being a Princess or having more money than she needed.

 

“All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night air with one enormous chair. Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly?” She mused out loud to the empty street. She smiled and spun around in the empty street, she began dreaming of the perfect life she would have if she became a shop lady. “Lots of chocolate for me to eat!” 

 

She danced in the empty street the lamp lights cast a light glow onto the street. She skipped and danced all the way back to her apartment, as she got closer she slowed down and thought about more intimate dreams for her future. 

 

“Someone’s head restin’ on my knee. Warm and tender as he can be, who takes good care of me. Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly?” She said out loud, saying her dream out loud, hoping someday it might come true. 

 

She arrived at her one-bedroom apartment, on the ground floor of a decrepit apartment building. She sighed and entered her cold room. She looked around at her bare apartment, all she had was a bed and a bag that contained her spare clothing and her hidden stash of money she had saved over the years. It was late, and she knew she was going to have to get up early if she wanted to get any of the fresh flowers in the morning. Taking her clothes off carefully and folding them on top of her bag, she laid under her threadbare blanket.

 

Her body was tired, but her mind was racing, was Ben Solo, right? Could he really teach her to become a flower shop attendant? She would pay to have lessons on speaking proper and such, if it meant that she could have a better future. She sat up in her bed, realizing what she needed to do.

 

Ben Solo

 

He and Poe Dameron had spent the night discussing different speech patterns from the middle east and Poe’s specific research into the Tatooine languages, considering there are more than 200 plus variations. They two men broke just after 2 am to go to bed for the night. Ben couldn’t help but think back on the young woman he had listened to earlier that night, her phonetics and comprehension of the English language was quite terrible, but she was pretty and had a fiery personality. He never had anyone stand up to him lie she had, the only exception was maybe his mother. He drifted off to sleep thinking of the beautiful but dreadfully sounding flower girl.

 

He awoke at his usual 7 am to his head housekeeper, Ms. Phasma, knocking on his door and delivering him a cup of tea and the morning paper. After a few sips of his tea and a glance over the headlines, he decided to get dressed and show Poe his various phonetic tools and equipment. The pair met in his study and began working on the different variations of vowels that could be heard by the human ear. Ms. Phasma brought them in different breakfast pastries to eat while they worked throughout the morning. 

 

“aaaaaaaeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiooooooouuuuuuu.” Ben said while pointing at a graph of the progression of vowels on his wall. “How many vowels do you think you heard?” 

 

“I believe I counted 24.” Poe replied.

 

“Wrong by one hundred, listen again.” Ben smiled back and replied before demonstrating again but this time slower.

 

“That’s incredible, but can we take a break it is nearly 10 o’clock and I am already exhausted.” Poe said while rubbing his eyes.

 

Ben and Poe were too busy discussing phonetics and vowels that they didn’t hear his door bell ring.

 

Rey Kenobi

 

This will be fine, the most he can do is refuse the lessons and turn you away. Rey told herself as she stood outside of 2187 Millennium Falcon Street, her hands fiddled with her pocketbook that she held with a death like grip. She had splurged a bit of her savings to take a taxi all the way here from her home, she wanted to seem like at woman who meant business. She had also taken the time to make sure her clothes looked presentable and her face didn’t have a speck of dirt on it. She wanted to make a better impression on him than the night before, even though he was being a bloomin’ busybody for writing down what she was saying. 

 

She was so lost in thought she almost didn’t notice the door open and to reveal a man dressed in a black suit and white shirt wearing white gloves, his hair was a strikingly golden color which contrasted severely with his clothing.

 

“Your name please.” He said in a monotone voice.

 

“My name is of no concern to you whatsoever.” She said and walked into the small hallway.

 

“One moment Miss.” He passed her and turned down a corner.

 

She took her time and looked around the hallway that opened into a foyer, it had a large fireplace that had a mirror over it to the left of the fireplace was a set of stairs going up and another set going down to what looked like the kitchen. To the right of the fireplace was where she was standing and further to her right was a large set of doors that were currently closed. She looked around the home in astonishment. She had never been to a home this large before. She walked over to the mirror and saw a smudge on her face, she hurriedly tried to wipe it off as a woman came up behind her. 

 

The woman was tall and athletically built, her hair was blindingly white and pinned back into a neat bun on the back of her head. She wore a plain grey dress with silver buttons and a black sweater. 

 

“I’m Ms. Phasma the Head Housekeeper, how can I help you?” The woman said in a serious tone. 

 

“Oh, good morning missus. I’d like to see the Professor please” She said, smiling up at the woman.

 

“Could you tell me what this is about?” Ms. Phasma said in the same serious tone. 

 

“It’s business of a personal nature.” She said with a smile.

 

“Oh,” Ms. Phasma looked Rey up and down. “One moment please.” She turned and entered the large set of doors.

 

Rey could hear strange noises coming from the room, it sounded like a cat was being murdered. 

 

Ben Solo

 

Ms. Phasma entered into Ben’s study and turned off his phonograph. He had been displaying to Poe how he can record different people saying things and slow them down, so he can study the cadence of their language and patterns. He looked up at his head housekeeper, prepared to yell at her for disrupting and turning off his machine.

 

“Sorry to interrupt Professor Solo, but there is a young woman at the door who says she knows you and wants to meet you in a personal nature.” Ms. Phasma said, looking at him.

 

“I don’t know any young women.” He replied, confusion coming through with each word. He didn’t know any young women, let alone in a personal manner.

 

“That’s what I thought, sir. I would’ve turned her away at the door, but she has the most dreadful accent and I thought you might want to get a recording of her.” She said, gesturing to the open door behind her.

 

“Ahh, bring her in then. I will be happy to show Poe how I record my discs for the phonograph. Go ahead and bring her in.” He told his housekeeper. He stood up and went over to his recorder, preparing it for his new disc. 

 

Behind him Ms. Phasma left the room and went to get the young woman. He could hear Ms. Phasma tell the woman to come into his study. He heard a familiar voice, the one he could not get out of his last night come through his door.

 

“I told you I had come here on a personal nature to meet with the Professor.” The flower girl said as she came into the room. 

 

He turned around, his eyes resting on the flower girl from the night before. She was dressed in the same tan dress from the night before, in the daylight he could tell that it was a hand made dress. The hem on her dress was uneven on the bottom and the dress appear to be a few years old, holes were scattered throughout the bottom of her dress. Her face was clean, in the light he could see her hazel eyes glitter with golden specks and across her face there were light freckles that looked beautiful against her tan skin. Seeing her face took his breath away, he knew in that moment he was completely in love.

 

“Ugh, the flower girl. I already have enough copies of your speech patterns from last night’s meeting, Ms. Phasma please show this woman the door.” He said quickly, turning away from her to conceal the blush he could feel growing on his face and neck. He had never felt this way about another person before, let alone a terribly spoken woman from the gutter. 

 

“Come away girl.” Ms. Phasma said, reaching to grab the small woman by her arm and lead her out her out of his study and out of his life. 

 

“Wait a minute, wait a minute” The flower girl wrestled her arm out of Ms. Phasma’s grasp. “I ain’t come here for you to hear me speak, I came to give yous a proposition.” She walked over to him and gave him a sly look. “You wouldn’t kick out someone who was bringin you business, would ya?”

 

“What kind of business would I want with you?” he asked, looking down into her wide hazel eyes, he could drown in those eyes. 

 

“I want to learn better English, so I can be a lady in a flower shop. Whenever I go in to ask for a job they turns me away cause I can’t speak proper. But I’m not stupid, last night you told the gentleman over there you coulds teach me to speak like a princess. Well, I’m here to learn how to speak right and I’m ready to pay too.” She said quickly, as if she couldn’t get the words out fast enough.

 

He stared back at her and recalled his conversation with Poe thee night before outside the theater, he did bet he could teach her to speak ‘proper’.

 

“What do you mean, ‘ready to pay’?” he asked, what sort of financial situation did this woman have to try and pay for language lessons?

 

“I has a friend who pays for Huttese from a real Hutt and she pays him 15 credits for each lesson. But I’m asking you to teach me my own language, so I think 8 credits per lesson would be fair.” She said, turning away from him and walking over to his couch. “I’ve brought you business and you haven’t asked me to sit down.”

 

He was in shock and awe for a moment, this young woman had barged into his life and now wanted to stay and get lessons? Who was this woman?

 

“Wait a moment,” He said loudly, startling the young flower girl. “I don’t know who you are, and I have no inclination on giving you lessons. Why are you really here? Do you want money?” 

 

The woman glared at him with a ferocity in her eye he had only seen when his mother was angry. 

 

“Sir, I told yous I want English lessons. I have no interest in taking your money, I want to pay you. I’m a good girl I am, and I don’t take no handouts. Either teach me for 8 credits or I will take my business elsewhere.” She said, her voice growing higher with each word. She was still facing him and giving him the death glare with an intensity that had him a bit frightened.

 

Poe cleared his throat and walked over to the woman, taking her by the hand and leading her to sit next to him on the couch.

 

“What is your name ma’am?” He asked in a soft voice, apparently trying to calm her down.

 

She looked between Poe and Ben before responding in a quiet voice, “Rey. Rey Kenobi.”

 

“Miss Rey Kenobi, why do you want to speak proper English? You said you want to work in a flower shop.” Poe said to her in the same calm tone. 

 

Ben moved to sit in a chair near the pair on the couch. He stared at her intensely, he wanted to know why a beautiful woman was in his home, he had terrible encounters with woman in the past. He always came off too brash and aloof when in all honesty he was shy and nervous around them. 

 

Rey thought to herself for a moment before replying. “I want to be a woman in a flower shop because I hate livin in the slums and I want to better myself. Nobody will hire me because of the way I talk, and I need to change that. I want to have my own place where I don’t have to worry about being cold or hungry. And I’m willin to pay all my savings to be able to speak like a lady.”

 

When she finished speaking a few tears ran down the sides of her face on her cheeks, she went to wipe them away with her sleeve. Ben stood up and offered her his handkerchief, she took it with a look of confusion on her face. 

 

“What’s this?”

 

“It’s a handkerchief, you wipe your face with it, not your sleeve.” He said curtly, he turned and started pacing in front of the pair on the couch.

 

His mind was running rampant with ideas, if he taught this woman to speak with a proper English vocabulary and cadence it would be his greatest professional accomplishment. He did believe he could make people believe that she was a lady or even a Princess, and he knew that the Winter’s Ball was coming up in December, which would be enough time for her to learn and practice if she was willing to work hard. The issue was her coming and going and not having constant lessons, maybe she could live here in his house and learn at the same time. 

 

He turned and faced Rey and Poe, a sly smile spread across his face.

 

“Well Mr. Dameron, Miss Kenobi here is offering me a very hefty business opportunity. 8 credits to her is a life savings as she has stated before, to us that might as well be 80 credits for us.” He stared at Rey, her mouth and eyes wide with shock.

 

“80 CREDITS! I can’t pay you 80 credits to learn my own language.” She yelled at him.

 

Rey stood abruptly from the couch and attempted to run to the open door of his study. Ben walked over and blocked her path.

 

“Miss Kenobi, I don’t want your money, but I will teach you how to speak English properly. This will be a very time consuming and tedious task, but I am willing to try.” He said, while leading her back to the couch.

 

“Ben, what are you getting at?” Poe asked, standing up from the couch to talk to Ben as equals, even though Ben stood almost a foot taller than Poe.

 

“I am offering my services to the young woman free of charge. All I am asking is that in December she proves herself and her new skills to the King and Queen of Takonda.” 

 

He looked down at Poe, the realization flooding the shorter man’s eyes, their bet from the night before was coming to fruition.

 

“Ben you can’t ask this young lady to drop her whole life to become part of your experiment. What if she has a family? Where would she stay? You have to think things through Ben…” Poe ranted before being interrupted by a small voice.

 

“I’ll do it.” Rey walked over to the two men and said, “I’ll do it. I’m an orphan, I’m a nobody, no one will miss me if I am takin lessons all the time. I want to speak proper and you want to show off how good you are at your job, it looks like a good agreement.” 

 

She stuck out her hand for her and Ben to shake on the new agreement. He stared at her for a moment, realizing that she actually would be willing to work with him. He took her by the hand and led her out of his study to the stairs which led to the rooms upstairs.

 

“Rey, since you will be studying and learning all the time every day for the next nine months, I would like you to stay here. You will be fed the finest meals and dressed in the finest clothing.” He stopped at the stairs and looked at her. “Well, how does that sound?”

 

Rey stared at him with a look of shock and horror.

 

“Live here? Have you pay for my things? I’m a good girl I am. I will not sell myself to you just to learn me own language!” She began to wriggle her hand out of his grasp.

 

“WAIT! I have no intention of taking advantage of you. I just want to make sure you don’t have to travel to and from Jakku every day. Having you live here would only be a convenience for our lessons. And the only reason you would be dressed in the finest clothing is to get rid of the smelly rag you are currently wearing. Lastly, the fine food is only because my chef is the best in all of London.” He said, trying to make Rey feel like she is a student in his home rather than a prostitute like she had accused him of taking her as.

 

Rey looked at him, no longer trying to run from his grasp. Her eyes softened as he explained what he had meant when he had misspoken earlier.

 

“Ben, I do agree with the young lady. Will you treat her with respect and only as a student and house guest?” Poe asked, his voice determined but a hint of treat was veiled in his manner. Ben knew that if he hurt or mistreated Rey, Poe would have no issue hurting Ben in defending her.

 

“Rey, I will only treat you as a student and house guest, nothing more and nothing less. I do have some riles for you while you are living and learning in my home. Firstly, you will be ready and open to each lesson I present, if you talk back to me or yell at me I have no problem kicking you back to the gutter. Secondly, you will also be respectful to Mr. Dameron and Ms. Phasma because they are here to help you become a better version of yourself. If you are rude to my friend or my staff I am willing to put you back on the streets. If you don’t accept the rules you will be the stupidest and most ungrateful girl who has ever lived. Do you understand and accept the rules?” He said, looking down at her. Her eyes were glued to staring at her hand which was still being held by his. The sizes of their hands were drastically different, hers was small and nimble where his large hands felt electrified holding hers, as if he had always been meant to hold hers. 

 

Rey looked at him with her deep hazel eyes and nodded in agreement to understanding his rules.

 

“Good girl. Ms. Phasma please prepare a room for Miss Rey Kenobi, she will be living here until further notice.” He said, his eyes still focusing on hers. 

 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ms. Phasma move from her spot in the study and come to take Rey’s hand from his, the loss of her hand from his left a phantom feeling of electricity.

 

“Come girl, I’ll show you to your room and draw you a bath.” 

 

Ben heard Rey mutter under his breath about how he wasn’t a gentleman and how a gentleman wouldn’t threaten to throw someone out onto the street. He held in a laugh and turned to face Poe. 

 

“Let’s go back to the study and finish our tea. I still want to show you how I make records for my phonograph.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917  
> I am taking one of my summer finals today so wish me luck please! After this no more school till August!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an exciting day of new experiences and agreements, how will Rey and Ben deal with living in the same home for the next couple months?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! Sorry for the late upload, I went on vacation last week and I didn't get a chance to upload earlier.

Chapter 3

Rey Kenobi

What had she just agreed to? Sure, she was going to learn how to speak proper but she was going to have to live with Professor Ben Solo. Luckily, Mr. Poe Dameron was kind and treated her like a lady even though she was a nobody, just a dirty flower girl. She thought about the last thirty minutes and how much her life had changed as the housekeeper, Ms. Phasma, guided her up a flight of stairs and down a hallway on the second floor of Professor Solo’s home. 

 

“This is the only spare bedroom we have available right now. Mr. Dameron is in the main guest bedroom and this is the only other one we have left.” Ms. Phasma said while opening a white door on her right.

 

The door opened to reveal a large bedroom that had a queen size bed on a brass bedframe that had a white gauzy canopy enveloping the sides of the bed to the left of the door. On the right side of the door and to the side there was a large fireplace with a painting of pink roses hanging above the mahogany mantel. To the left of the bed a large window facing a garden behind Professor Solo’s house, white curtains framed the large window. Next to the window a large brown chair with a matching brown foot rest sat on a rug, inviting her over to sit down and relax in. The walls were white with pink little flowers going horizontally up and down every few feet from each other. Rey stepped into the room and looked around in awe, was she really going to living in this room? She wasn’t a lady yet, so she didn’t feel like she deserved to be in this nice of a room. 

 

“Missus Phasma, this room is too good for the likes of me. I’d be scared to get everthin’ all dirty. You’d best be putting me with the maids and the other house workers.” She said as she placed her hand on the fireplace mantel and looked at the painting.

 

Ms. Phasma opened a door on the opposite side of the room by the window and stepped in. Rey couldn’t see what Ms. Phasma was doing but after a moment or two she heard the sound of rushing water. Rey looked at the painting a few seconds longer before her curiosity got the better of her and she turned to look at the room Ms. Phasma had entered. The open-door way now had steam coming wafting out of it, Rey walked over and looked inside the small room. The room had walls covered in small white tiles and the floor had black tiles. There was a large mirror standing near the door, a toilet was in a corner and a sink was next to it. In the middle of the room was a large porcelain white basin with gold spickets emptying steaming water into it, Ms. Phasma was sitting on the edge of the basin watching the water as it filled up, the steam flowing over the sides. 

 

“Wow is that where you wash your clothes?” Rey asked timidly, stepping closer to the basin.

 

“No, Rey. This is a bathtub, it’s where we wash ourselves.” Ms. Phasma said nonchalantly.

 

“YOU AIN’T GETTING ME INTO THAT BASIN! IT HAS SMOKE COMIN OUT OF IT!” Rey looked at her with horror.

 

Ms. Phasma stood up and walked over to the door and shut it. She then walked over to Rey and stood in front of her. 

 

“Come on girl, I’m going to wash you and make sure that you are clean and ready to become a lady. Take off your clothes too, we will be buying you new ones in the morning. Don’t worry about folding them, Professor Solo wants them to be burned.” She said while walking over to the to the door and then locking it. She walked back over to Rey and glared her down. 

 

“No, I won’t get undressed. If I get in there it will boil me up.” Rey wrapped her arms tightly across her chest.

 

“Don’t be silly, girl. You want to be a lady in a flower shop, right?” Ms. Phasma responded in a direct and no-nonsense voice. 

 

Rey took a moment to remember why she was there and what all of this was for, after a few deep breaths she began to undress. When she was fully undressed she stepped into the steaming basin, the water was warm but not too uncomfortable, she submerged her body into the water allowing it to engulf her. She had never had a bath before, in the past she always cleaned herself with a rag and water to wipe her body and face down. 

 

Ms. Phasma was washing her down with a towel and removed all the dirt and grime she had covering her body and face for years. Ms. Phasma also scrubbed and massaged Rey’s head and hair with beautiful rose and lilac smelling soap that left her brown hair feeling soft and silky. This was one of the first times in years she had ever felt relaxed and cared for, nobody had ever treated her like this before. When the water began to become cold, Ms. Phasma helped Rey get out of the basin and wrapped her in a large white towel that was the softest fabric she had ever felt. 

 

“Since it’s past 6pm we can dress you in one of the former maid’s night gowns for tonight and tomorrow we can have you fitted for new apparel. I’ll have Mr. Threepio bring you some dinner so you don’t have to be seen by Professor Solo and Mr. Dameron while you are in your night gown.” Ms. Phasma said as she dried off Rey and then handed her a long-sleeve floor length sheer white dress. 

 

Rey put the dress on gingerly, not wanting to ruin the soft fabric. When she turned to look at herself in the mirror, she let out a loud gasp. With just a bath and a nightgown she looked like a new person, her skin was glowing, and she noticed she had freckles coving her face and chest and her hair was shiny and soft. Rey was in awe of what some water and soap could accomplish, she was a totally new person, at least on the outside. She left the bathroom and walked over to the brown chair and sat down with her feet up. As she sat down she relaxed and relived all of the day’s events and tried to pinpoint the exact moment where she realized that this would be her home, if only for a few months. The excitement of the day slowly wore off, leaving Rey to feel exhausted and causing her to fall asleep in the big chair in front of the fireplace. 

Ben Solo

 

“Ben are you a good man?” Poe asked the tall man who was now sitting at his desk enjoying a glass of brandy. 

 

Ben looked up and stared at his counterpart, who was seated on his couch, with a look of confusion.

 

“I believe that I am.” Ben said, his voice sincere. 

 

“Well, are you a good man when women are in the picture?” Poe prodded, he stood from the couch and walked over and leaned against Ben’s desk, looking up into Ben’s eyes.

 

“Is any man?” Ben retorted with a laugh.

 

“Ben please be serious, you now have a young woman with no family living in your home. I want to make sure nothing happens to her. I’ll help teach her too, just to make sure she is taken care of and not worked to the bone by you.” Poe said in a huff, downing the brandy in his glass and placing it on the desk with force. 

 

“Poe, you should be more worried about her changing my life than me changing hers. I am a bachelor by choice and never thought that a woman would live here. I’ve seen good men fall prey to a woman and I swore that would never happen to me.” Ben said, taking another sip of the amber liquid.

 

He was thinking over the past few hours and how his quiet life had turned upside down all because of Rey, the flower girl. Rey the girl with beautiful hazel eyes, Rey who had light streaming out of her all the time. The moment she spoke he knew he was in trouble.

 

“What do you mean Ben?” Poe asked.

 

“Let a woman in your life and your serenity is through. She’ll redecorate your home from the cellar to the attic and when that’s done she’ll redecorate you. You’ll make a plan that she won’t like so you end up doing something that neither likes to do. A man wants to talk of Keats and Milton, but she only wants to talk of love. You take her to see a play or ballet and spend it searching for her fallen glove.” He said, then finishing his drink. 

 

Poe slightly laughed and asked, “You really don’t think that way of having a woman in your life?”

 

“Oh, my friend it’s worse. Let a woman in your life and you invite eternal strife. They are so anxious for a wedding band and I’d be more willing to let a dentist be drilling than to ever have a woman in my life. She’ll beg for your advice and after you reply she’ll go out and do what she wants! And wait till she invites her army of friends over to jabber and chatter and tell your wife what is wrong with you! Let the others of my sex tie the knot around their necks, I’d prefer a new edition of the Sith Inquisition than to ever have a woman in my life.” He said, standing to his feet. He walked passed his friend and to the doors leading out of his study. He turned and looked at Poe, “I shall never let a woman in my life. Rey is a student and I am her teacher, we will be nothing more and nothing less. She is merely staying here to keep up with her lessons, and I am buying her clothes because hers are dreadful!”

 

“I’ll make sure nothing funny happens, you can hold me to that promise.” Poe assured Ben.

 

“Get some rest Poe. We have so much work to do and not a lot of time to accomplish it.” Ben said while going up the stairs to his room. 

 

On his way to his room he passed Ms. Phasma leaving Rey’s room. 

 

“How is Rey adjusting Ms. Phasma?” Ben asked.

 

“She’s exhausted from all of today’s excitement. She fell asleep in her reading chair after her bath. I got her into bed after I had her eat some dinner, I moved her to her bed from the chair, so she wouldn’t wake up with pain in her neck tomorrow morning.” Ms. Phasma replied, she was holding Rey’s clothing. “I don’t think she’s ever ha a bath before, she was terrified to step in the bathtub. Before I turn in for the night, what should I do with her clothing? Did you truly want me to burn them?” 

 

“Yes, burn them. She will have nice clothes for now on.” He said, flatly.

 

“Right away sir. Goodnight Professor Solo,” Ms. Phasma responded as she walked down the stairs.

 

Ben passed Rey’s room and into his own, just two doors away from his own. This was the first time a woman has ever stayed in his home other than his mother and the maids. He was still surprised that Rey had accepted his rules and chosen to leave her life behind just to learn how to speak properly. If she showed as much ferocity and passion as she did this afternoon in her lessons. He had no doubt that by July she would be able to go out in public and practice her new skill set. 

 

He entered his room and after he had shut his door, he began to undress. As he took off his black jacket and white dress shirt he thought about his conversation with Poe about never letting a woman into his life. He changed into his night clothes and new thought passed his mind, what if someday he did let a woman into his life? He had given up all hope that a woman would ever be able to like or even enjoy company and his explosive temperament, he had chosen to be a bachelor for the rest of his life. He saw no issue with that, he could read all the time not have to worry about anyone nagging or annoying him, he could do whatever pleases him without having to ask for someone else’s permission. His mother on the other hand, wanted him to marry so she could spend the rest of her life spoiling her future grandchildren. Each time he would visit his mother, which was not often, they would get into an argument about his life choices. He now only saw his mother when it was absolutely necessary, just to avoid the topic of grandchildren he was keeping from her. 

 

Ben looked around his room and began to wonder what it would look like if he was married, his room was large with dark walls and dark furnishings. He walked over to his bed and looked at the stack of books he kept next to his bed for ‘light reading’, she probably would make him put them on a bookshelf and call it a fire hazard. His wife probably wouldn’t let him keep the dark colors of his walls she would most likely would change the walls to pink or white, not the gray that he currently had. 

 

As he got into bed he began to think of the positive things that would come if he had a woman in his life. Someone he could talk to about his day or his work, someone to sit and read with, someone to drink tea and each chocolate with, someone to hold at night and someone to love. He sighed and rolled to his side in his large bed, he knew he would never find a woman to love him. His past relationships were a testament to his bachelor status, he would try to court a woman by talking to her about his work and the woman would just stare at him blankly as if he was speaking another language. After he tried to court a young woman named Kaydel, he accidentally insulted her speech pattern and where she was from. Kaydel slapped him and called him a monster before storming off, he knew in that moment he was better off being a bachelor for the rest of his life. 

 

Now that Rey was living under his roof, Ben was going to have to make sure he stayed set in his bachelor ways. As he slowly fell asleep his subconscious betrayed him by dreaming of Rey and a perfect life that was just out of reach.

Rey

 

Waking up in a large soft bed was the best feeling in the world, Rey was warm and comfortable. Rey’s first night in Professor Solo’s home was interesting to say the least. Her mind relived every moment, but it kept bringing her back to focus on when Professor Solo held her hand. His hands were so large compared to hers, his were soft where hers were calloused from years of work. But it wasn’t the size difference or the way his felt that she was thinking of, but it was the way he held hers. At first it was rough when he took her by the hand and dragged her out of his study and then he held her tightly when she tried to run. When she had agreed to stay his hold on her hand softened. When their hands were clasped together it felt electric, as if their hands were two live wires that finally collided. Even now hours later, she felt the electricity still coursing through her fingers. 

 

She lied in her new bed and relaxed for the first time in her life. A soft knock on her door brought her back to the present, she was ready to learn and become a proper lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lessons have begun and they are difficult. Will Rey and Ben bump heads or learn to get along?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the views!! I am going to be going to a convention this week so next Monday's update will most likely become a Tuesday or Wednesday update. I will be posting convention photos on my main Instagram and some on Tumblr!

Ben Solo

 

“AAaaaAAAaaAAAaaaaAAaaa” Rey repeated over and over again. 

 

She had been in his home for a week now and they were still working on her pronunciation of the alphabet. Every single day for hours and hours he had her hooked up to a machine that measured the range of her voice when she pronounced different letters. The goal as to keep the measure as steady as possible, when Rey first began the measure was all over the place. He had her repeating her alphabet day and night, he needed to have her a clean slate before teaching her anything more advanced.

 

“NO, NO, NO! It’s just aaaaaaa. Flat and even, no inflection, no feelings!” He growled at her.

 

“It’s not like you have any feelins’, hookin’ me up to this machine for hours on end. I’m tired an I’m hungry. Please let me take a bloody break!” She replied, matching the tone and intensity of his voice. 

 

He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, he thought for a moment before deciding that she did have a point. They had been working on her alphabet since 8 am and it was now past 2 pm, he had forgotten to give her a lunch. 

 

“Fine, go have Ms. Phasma make you lunch and come back when your finished I want the measure to be perfectly straight when you come back.”

 

Rey nodded vigorously as she ran from his study. Ben laid back in his desk chair and closed his eyes, this woman was going to be the death of him. She was stubborn and witty and always ready to go toe to toe with him over everything. She was ready and eager to learn but she always asked questions on why they were doing that or why it was like this. Normally, he would enjoy answering all her questions and discuss his profession, but he needed her to focus on the basics. He was reteaching her the entire English language in less than six months, they would have time to chat but right now he needed her sole focus to be on her studies. 

 

“Your pushing yourself and Miss. Kenobi too hard.” Poe spoke up from his spot on the couch.

 

Ben opened one eye and glared at his friend.

 

“I HAVE TO! She has to relearn the whole bloody English language in six months! How else am I going to teach her?” He yelled, as he swatted papers off his desk. 

 

As the papers fluttered to the floor he laid his head down on his desk, when he started this experiment he didn’t realize how much work it would actually be. 

 

“You could be kinder to her.” Poe replied.

 

“Kind to her? Kindness doesn’t teach you anything. Professor Snoke was never kind to me when the taught me in school and look how well I turned out.” He said with sincerity, head still on his desk.

 

Poe let out a guttural laugh, a hearty laugh that caused Ben to look up at his friend in shock.

 

“What?” He asked.

 

“You did not turn out fine.” Poe said in between laughs, “Right now you are complaining about a student who came to you on her own accord to learn and you’re mad because she hasn’t picked it up in a week. Ben, she has been placed in a new home, given new clothing, learning manners and the ways of nobility and on top of that you are yelling at her. She is the strongest person I’ve met and I’m going to make sure you don’t break her.” Poe then stood up and walked out of Ben’s study leaving him alone with his thoughts. 

 

Ben groaned and laid his head back onto his desk, contemplating ‘being kind’.

 

Rey Kenobi

 

Rey was relieved when Professor Solo released her for lunch, she was hungry, but she also needed a break. There were only so many times you could repeat a letter before wanting to rip your hair out and scream! She kept practicing hours on end and for many days without a break other than eating and sleeping. But she knew the only way to become a lady in a shop was to keep practicing. Professor Solo was rude to her, always yelling at her when she messed up. She tried her hardest, she really did! It was just all so new and confusing, when she learned her alphabet as a kid it was easy but now relearning it was proving to be more than difficult. She couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that the letters could have different ways of being said. 

 

As Rey entered the kitchen she saw the group of servants sitting at the table eating their lunch.

 

“‘Scuse me, Ms. Phasma. Could I have some lunch please?” Rey asked when she entered the room. 

 

“Of course, Rey. Go and sit in the dining room and I’ll bring it out to you.” Ms. Phasma replied, standing up from the table and walked over to the stove.

 

“That’s all right. I don’t need to sit in there, I’ll sit with your lot.” Rey said, stepping forward to sit in the vacant chair Ms. Phasma had left. 

 

“No ma’am. You are training to be a lady. You will sit in the dining room and be waited on. We will bring you your lunch soon.” Ms. Phasma said in a striking tone.

 

“I’d rather sit with you all and chat than sit in the dinin’ room all alone.” Rey said quietly as she left the kitchen.

 

As she entered the dining room she could hear Mr. Poe and Professor Solo arguing.

 

“How else am I going to teach her?” the Professor said in his signature gruff voice, he sounded as exhausted as she felt. 

 

“You could be kinder to her.” Mr. Poe said.

 

Rey stood still for a moment, letting the dream of a kind Professor Solo invade her mind. She almost laughed out loud at the vision of him speaking slowly and kindly for once. No, that wasn’t his nature and Rey respected that. She just wished he didn’t work her hours on end without a break.

 

Rey walked over to the dining room table and took a seat in one of the many ornate chairs. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her new clothes were very tight and uncomfortable. She was currently wearing a grey dress that reached the floor with long sleeves and collar that went all the way up to her chin, it was covered with ruffles and bows. Rey missed her simple tan and brown dress whenever she wore this monstrosity. Other than the dress she was currently wearing, she liked the others that Professor Solo and Mr. Poe had chosen for her. One was a simple emerald floor length dress with elbow length sleeves and a short collar dress. When Professor Solo gave Rey the dress he said, “The green will bring out the green in your eyes.”, he said in a huff before leaving the room, he left her standing there stunned and blushing. She enjoyed wearing it just to see Professor Solo’s cheeks flush a bit whenever she walked into the room, no man before ever blushed when they looked at her.

 

Ms. Phasma entered the dining room, breaking Rey out of her thoughts on Professor Solo. Ms. Phasma placed a plate of chicken and vegetables in front of her, it smelled heavenly.

 

“Thank you, Ms. Phasma” Rey said as the tall woman walked back into the kitchen. 

 

As Rey started eating her lunch she thought back on how different her food situation was a mere week ago. Before living with Professor Solo, she was lucky to get one meal a day and most of the time it was a small portion of bread from the horrible baker Unkar Plutt. Now she had three meals a day with a break for tea and pastry, if Professor Solo remembered to give her a break, she especially loved the chocolates that Professor Solo special ordered from Hoth. 

 

Rey was in the middle of eating her chicken when Mr. Poe came in and sat next to her.

 

“Good Afternoon Rey how are you enjoying your time here?” He asked, his face deep with concentration and a worry in his eyes.

 

Rey put down her fork and knife and thought about his question for a few seconds.

 

“I am enjoying my time here. I like you and Ms. Phasma but I don’t think Professor Solo likes me that much. He’s short with me and talks down to me during our lessons. I try hard to learn everythin’ he’s teachin’ me but it’s difficult to understand why each letter has multiple sounds.” She huffed out, leaning back on her chair and crossing her arms across her chest. 

 

“I can see that he is trying to connect with you and teach you, but your right he is rude. He does like you but he’s not good at expressing emotions other than anger.” Mr. Poe said with a laugh.

 

“Why is that sir? Don’t he know it’s easier to attract fly’s with honey than it is with vinegar? He could be a bit kinder like you said.” Rey replied before eating the rest of her lunch. 

 

“You are absolutely right Rey, and please call me Poe, Mr. Dameron was my father. Take the rest of the day off and go read in your room. I’ll let Ben know that you will study in your room.” Poe said, getting up from his chair and exiting the dining room. 

 

Rey stayed in her seat, arms folded across her chest, she thought about how Professor Solo had been rude to her and talking down to her for the past week. He always called her a silly girl whenever she messed up a pronunciation or said something in the wrong ‘tense’. Whenever he did that she would clam up and get nervous, which made him angrier and he would yell and toss his papers around. Thinking about these incidents made her so mad she began talking to herself out loud.

 

“Just you wait Ben Solo, just you wait! You’ll be sorry, but you’re tears will be too late! You’ll be broke, and I’ll have money. Will I help you? Don’t be funny! Just you wait!” She laughed and stood from her seat. 

 

She skipped down the hallway and sat in a chair near the fireplace, she crossed her legs and swung them over the arm rest.

 

“Just you wait till we’re swimmin in the sea! And you get a cramp a little ways from me. When you yell you’re gonna drown, I’ll get dressed and go to town!” She said as she threw her arms up in the air in victory. 

 

She got up from the chair and ran up the stairs, she sat on the second story landing.

 

“Just you wait, Ben Solo, till you’re sick and you scream to fetch a doctor double quick. I’ll be off a second later. And go straight to the the-ater!” She stood and sat on the banister, as she slid down she laughed. 

 

When she landed at the bottom of the stair case she said, “OH HO HO, BEN SOLO, JUST YOU WAIT!” 

 

She kept giggling until she heard a cough coming from the study door. She turned slowly and saw Professor Solo standing in the doorway.

 

“Having fun, dear?” he asked in a condescending tone. 

 

His face keeping a blank expressionless look on it, she couldn’t read what he was thinking. She could feel her face redden with embarrassment, her mouth was wide open, but no sounds escaped. 

 

“Go upstairs and study. I’ll see you at dinner.” Professor Solo said, before turning around and entering his study and closing the doors behind him, 

 

As soon as the doors were closed, Rey ran up the stairs two steps at a time. When she entered her room, she closed the door behind her and leaned on it. She was thoroughly embarrassed that Professor Solo caught her saying those nasty things out loud. She had been so caught up in the fantasy of Ben Solo begging for her to help him she forgot to see if his study door was open. This was going to be a very awkward dinner!

 

Ben Solo

 

After he closed his study door and heard Rey bound up the stairs he laughed out loud. Rey was a fiery and energetic person who obviously did not like him. He walked over to his desk, a smile stayed on his face as he continued drawing up lesson plans for his imaginative student.

 

A few hours later a knock on the study door broke his deep concentration. Ms. Phasma entered the study.

 

“Sir, dinner is ready.” 

 

“Thank you, Ms. Phasma.” He stood up from his desk and followed her out of the study to the dining room.

 

Poe and Rey were seated across from each other, leaving the head of the table open for him. Poe and Rey were laughing when he entered the room, the pair quieted when he sat down. Before he could ask what, they had been laughing about, Ms. Phasma and Mr. Threepio entered the dining room and placed a bowl of French Onion soup in front of the three of them. After a few minutes of silence, Ben cleared his throat.

 

“I think when the weather becomes nicer we should go to Naboo beach for a swim.” He said, a sly smile was covered when he took a sip of his soup. 

 

Rey started coughing and choking on her soup, she stared daggers at him. Ben gave her an innocent look followed by a small smile. Poe just stared back and forth between Ben and Rey, his eyes flickered with concern before turning his attention back to his soup. 

Throughout the rest of the dinner Ben kept referencing different things Rey had brought up when she thought she was alone. At one point, while they were eating their main course of Beef Wellington, Ben brought up how he thought that he was coming down with something like a cold and how he was thinking about calling a doctor, Rey almost choked on her dinner from surprise. He enjoyed seeing her riled up, if they had been friends maybe she could have joked back at him. 

 

When dinner was finished, and everyone was going to their own rooms, Ben knew he had to speak to Rey.

 

“Rey, can I see you in my study for a moment before you retire to your room for the night?” He asked, his voice quivering a hair.

 

Rey nodded and followed him to his study. Once they were seated, her on the couch and him in a chair. 

 

“I just..” Ben started

 

“I’m sorr…” Rey started

 

The pair began speaking at the same time, Ben and Rey stopped and laughed.

 

“I wanted to apologize for sayin’ those nasty things about you. I was so frustrated that I had to get it out an I didn’t realize I was speakin out loud till you caught me.” Rey spoke first, looking down at the ground while her fingers nervously picked at the bows on her dress. “I know one of the rules was not to be rude to you so if you want to kick me out, I would understand.”

 

“That won’t be necessary.” Ben said, “I wanted to apologize for pushing you to the extreme. We only started this week and I should have eased you into the curriculum instead of throwing you in head first. In the upcoming lessons I will try to be kinder and remember that this is new to you.” He looked over at Rey who was now looking at him with a small smile lighting up her face. 

 

Rey abruptly stood up and stuck out her hand.

 

“I will agree not to be rude out loud to you. If you agree to be a bit kinder to me in lessons.” Rey said.

 

Ben stood up and took her hand, the same electricity flowed from her hand to his, just like the week before. They slowly let go of each other’s hands, their eyes staring into each other’s. Once her hand was free from his grasp, Rey turned and left his study. 

 

Ben went and sat at his desk looking at his paperwork when he heard Rey called out “GOODNIGHT PROFESSOR!” He smiled and yelled back, “GOODNIGHT REY!” 

 

Ben’s hand still tingled with the electricity as he went to bed a few hours later. He again fell asleep dreaming of the beautiful brunette just across the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to start on more difficult lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the Kudos and Views!  
> My convention as amazing!! My sister and I cosplayed all four days as the Sanderson Sister's, Beetlejuice and Lydia, Mystery Science Theater 3000 Hosts and Friday the 13th Victims. It was amazing and I made friends with so many people at the convention and I bought such amazing pieces of art! On my Instagram I will be posting photos over the next few weeks.

Chapter 5

 

Rey Kenobi

 

“The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly in the Plains.” Professor Solo said slowly while handing Rey a sheet of paper with the saying written on it. 

 

It was now May and Rey had finally moved on from repeating her alphabet day and night. Rey looked down at the elegant cursive that sprawled out over the paper, over the past month she learned how to read his handwriting. Every day he would write out the lesson plan for the day and assignments she would work on by herself before she went to bed. 

 

“The raain en Spaain stays maainley en the plaains.” She said slowly trying to visualize the word before saying it out loud.

 

“No, no, no. You are extending the ‘a’ sound too much. It’s a short ‘a’ sound, keep repeating the phrase throughout the day. And instead of saying your prayers tonight I want God to learn about the weather in Spain.” Professor Solo said. He was sitting at his desk reading his morning paper, his cup of tea sitting next to his paper ready to be devoured. 

 

Since their truce in new truce in April The Professor had been kinder to her in his own way. He still had her working all hours but now he made sure to stop for every meal and tea breaks. Even though Rey had only been in Professor Solo’s and Poe’s company for a month, she had learned a great deal about the two gentlemen.

 

~~~Two Nights Before~~~

 

Rey and Poe were seated at the dining room table, the Professor had gone out to dinner and internally Rey wondered if he was seeing a young woman he intended to court. She would never ask him because that would be too personal for their relationship as student and teacher. Her and Poe had become closer friends while he was teaching her the proper ways of acting in high society. Poe was teaching her the proper way of eating when Royalty was dining with you, such as who eats first and what fork to use when eating salad.

 

“When dining with a member of the Royal Family or a member of a higher status, you have to wait for them to take the first bite of their food before you begin eating. Of course, our Prince here doesn’t care for those rules.” Poe said while taking a bite of his roast beef.

 

“What you mean the Professor is a Prince?” Rey stared at her friend who sat across her at the table.

 

“I think you meant to say ‘What do you mean? Is Professor Solo a Prince?’ And yes, I am.” A deep voice came from behind her chair.

 

Rey jumped and turned to see Professor Solo leaning against the doorway. His typical straight tie was undone and hanging around his neck and his white button-down shirt had the top few buttons undone. His normally well-kept hair was mussed, and his voice had a slight slur to it as he spoke, he walked over to the table and sat next to Rey.

 

“I see the meeting with your mother went well.” Poe said with amusement in his voice, he chuckled as Ben reached for Rey’s untouched glass of wine. 

 

She stared at the man next to her, her prim and proper teacher was a drunken mess. On top of that he was a Prince!

 

“Meeting with my mother is like meeting with a talking parrot. All she say’s is the same four things. ‘Have you met a woman yet? When will you get married? When will you give me grandchildren? And Will you please meet with your father?’ Two bottles of wine are the only way of dealing with her highness.” He sipped on Rey’s wine and looked over at her, his eyes were glazed over, and his mouth has a sly smile plastered on it. 

 

“How did you think I become such an esteemed man with a degree from the Jedi Academy in Language? That cost my mother a pretty penny, but money matters don’t concern her at all. My mother was adopted by King Bail Prestor Organa and his wife Queen Breha Organa after my grandmother, Former Prime Minister Padme Amidala, had died giving birth to her and my Uncle Luke. My Uncle Luke was raised by my grandfathers’ brother and his wife. My mother became very political at a young age and ran for Prime Minister at the age of 20, she won and remained Prime Minister until she was 40 years old.” He downed his glass of wine before pouring another. 

 

“When my mother was 21 she met my father, Han Solo, he was a Pirate who had been accused of stealing from the National Museum. She pardoned him and convinced the public that he was ‘retuning the items that someone else had stolen’. They married a year later and a few months later I was born. My mother was so busy being the Prime Minister and my father kept leaving on his ship, The Millennium Falcon, that they shipped me away to go to my Uncle’s Prep School the Jedi Academy and University. My mother visited every weekend, but I didn’t see my dad at all. He abandoned me and never looked back, he kept smuggling artifacts from country to country. I never want to speak to him, but my bloody mother keeps trying to make us meet.” He said, he drained his glass and poured another.

 

Rey could sympathize with his feelings of abandonment given her history, but she was furious that he refused to meet with his father. She would give anything to meet her parents, just to ask them why they left her and to forgive them for abandoning her. But she would never tell the Professor that, she had no right to be giving advice about family issues.

 

“So, they sent me to study under my Uncle and to become a great politician like my mother. My Uncle tried to train me in the combative ways of the Republic Senate, but I never had the knack of arguing with a person who spoke dreadfully. I would always correct their speech instead of arguing my points. The only one who saw my potential was Professor Snoke, he taught and trained me in languages and dialects. My mother, of course, was disappointed in my career choice, her dream of having a son become Prime Minister were slashed away.” He finished his monologue and drink, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the chair.

 

Rey liked listening to the Professor talk about his personal life, it made him more human to her and not just her no emotion shell of a teacher. 

 

“If you’re a Prince why don’t you live in a castle? Or a mansion?” Rey asked, her voice full of confusion. This man could live anywhere and do whatever he wanted, why stay in London in a brownstone home. 

 

“Rey, do you want to live in a castle or mansion?” Ben retorted

 

“No sir, too much room and too fancy for the likes of me.” She said quietly.

 

His dark eyes bore into hers, they were full of sadness and longing. She didn’t know why he looked at her like that, he could have anything he wanted, why ask what she wanted?

 

Poe cleared his throat, drawing the attention of Rey and Ben away from each other.

 

“Before you came in Ben, we were discussing the proper way to eat when dining with royalty or someone of a higher class.”

 

“Well, don’t let my interruption stop you. I will retire to my bedroom before I reveal any more of my family secrets or history.” Professor Solo stood from his seat. 

 

He bowed deeply in an over exaggerated way to Poe, who laughed at his inebriated friend. The Professor then turned to Rey and extended his hand to her, she stared at him with a look of confusion.

 

“Give him your hand, Rey.” Poe said.

 

Rey timidly placed her hand in his, Professor Solo lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed the tops of her fingers. His lips lingered on her fingers for a few moments, his eyes staring into hers. His chocolate eyes were filled with a look she had never seen before, softness but longing still ever present. Rey could feel her face flush and her breathing hitch; her hand was surging with electricity it was if his kiss had shocked her system. He slowly let go of her hand and left the room, her hand remained in the air. She slowly brought it down to rest on her lap, she turned and focused on the door Ben had just exited. I mean Professor Solo not Ben. 

 

Poe cleared his throat again, he should go see a doctor to get his throat checked on with how much he must clear it. Rey turned and leaned back in her chair, her face was warm, and her pulse had started to return to a normal pace. 

 

“Let’s continue our lesson.” Poe said. 

 

The stirring of Professor Solo’s spoon in his tea brought her back to the present, she began repeating the written words again.

 

“The raain en spaain stays maainley en the plaains.” She said, trying to mimic the short ‘a’ sound he had taught her.

 

“Why don’t you practice the short ‘a’ sound in your room for an hour and then come back down for lunch.” He said, still stirring his tea. His eyes focused on the weather section of his morning paper.

 

Rey left him in his study and started up the stairs, all the while practicing her ‘a’ sound. The piece of paper still in her hands, as she entered her room she wondered if he could teach her how to write fancy like that. 

 

Rey sat down in her brown chair, allowing her mind to visualize and remember the past time Ben had held her hand. When she was alone in her room or her thoughts she called the Professor, Ben. She thought about how Ben had held her hand so delicately that night. He had always touched her so gingerly, as if she might break under his touch. A few days before when Poe, Ben and Rey had gone shopping he helped her out of the taxi, he held onto her hand a bit longer than necessary. Her stomach had butterflies when he finally let her go, she had never felt that way before. But with Ben the feeling was almost always constant, but he was her teacher, so she could never reveal her blossoming feelings to him. And it’s not like he would ever feel that way about a nobody like her. 

 

Ben Solo

Ben stirred his tea and read the weather section of his newspaper, it seemed appropriate since Rey was practicing “The Rain in Spain” exercise. This past month of living with Rey and Poe was a big change for him, he was used to being alone for most of his life. When he was a child at the Jedi Academy everyone treated him as a constant issue that had to be dealt with, it could be because he would fight his other classmates when they spoke ill of him or his family. He was used to the silence that came with living on his own and he was also used to choosing when to eat meals or go out. Now he had Rey practicing her lessons and Poe to have discussions with, he enjoyed the change of pace. 

 

He smiled down at the paper he was no longer reading, he leaned it against his chest and looked around his study. His eyes landed on one of Rey’s scarves he had bought for her, he remembered when the trio went shopping for an upcoming trip to Naboo. He had helped Rey out of the taxi, holding her hand as she exited the vehicle sent shocks throughout his entire system. Living with Rey had changed his entire life and he was grateful for that. 

 

He thought about how Rey only called him “Professor Solo” or “Sir”, he would ask her to call him Ben. But he was scared that she might think of him as unprofessional or too casual, which is currently not the climate of their relationship. Hopefully someday they could have a different relationship when all of this is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow Me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lessons become tougher, is Rey prepared? Will she crack under pressure?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting late but IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! I am 22 today!! *Plays 22 by Taylor Swift on repeat*

Chapter 6

Ben Solo

 

“Repeat after me, ‘In Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire hurricanes hardly happen.’ you need to make sure you don’t exaggerate the ‘H’ sound. This machine in front of you will help, when you make the correct ‘h’ sound the flame will grow. If you don’t pronounce it correctly it will stay the same height.” Ben said to Rey, who was sitting in front of a contraption his mentor had created.

 

It was a wooden desk with a platform in the center with a candle stand coming up from the top, behind the candle was a mirror. The person using the machine would speak into a tube that was facing the candles’ flame. The person could watch from the mirror to see if the flame grew with their pronunciations or if it remained the same, they would be able to adjust the shape of their mouth or see what the issue was. 

 

He placed a sheet of paper with the saying written on it on the desk in front of Rey, who was now trying out the machine.

 

“En ‘artford, ‘ereford an ‘ampshire ‘urricanes ‘ardly happen.” She said.

 

The flame stayed still until the last word, she turned to him and flashed him a smile that was full of pride. He couldn’t help but reciprocate a smaller smile back to her and a nod to continue practicing. 

 

Rey had come a long way since the previous month, she now knew how to pronounce her alphabet correctly but the application of it in words was a struggle. With the exercises he was giving her it would help reinforce the practical use of the newly learned alphabet. Rey worked hard on learning the language and Ben could see that, they did bump heads on occasion, but they always resolved the argument after taking a few moments of solitude to think the issue over. Poe was also a good buffer between the two, he taught Rey how to be graceful and elegant while sitting, conversing and eating. The trio were planning a trip to Naboo beach to take a break from the stress they put upon themselves, the vacation was scheduled for the end of July. The time from now till then would give Rey enough practice and memorize the vocabulary and high society skills, before releasing her into the wild and dangerous world of First Class. He had grown up in ‘high society’ and ‘first class’ world and hated every moment of it, the proper way to bow, how to hold a fork, not to correct the King and Queens grammar. But to help Rey and prove his experiment a success, he was willing to dive back in. 

 

Ms. Phasma entered the study and placed a stack of letters onto his desk.

 

“Sir, the mail arrived.” 

 

He nodded at her and she left the room, he walked over to his desk and looked at the stack of envelopes he had received. He sat down and looked over at Rey, who was sitting at the desk across the room and repeating her lesson, every few words she would change the shape of her mouth and try saying the lesson again. As he looked at her back, he noticed that she was wearing the emerald dress he had picked out for her. The tops of his ears blushed with embarrassment when he thought back on the day he and Poe went shopping for her. 

 

The Month Before

 

“We should have brought her with us.” Grumbled Ben as he looked through the racks of dresses at the Cloud City Boutique. 

 

“You threw out the only dress she had, scratch that, you burned the only dress she had. And Ms. Phasma’s dress was too big on her. What about this?” Poe pulled out a bright yellow dress with a large hoop skirt littered with bows and lace.

 

Ben laughed so hard tears started falling from his eyes. Poe glared at him and mumbled something along the lines of ‘I thought it was a nice dress’ before placing it back on the rack.

 

Ben looked around the store, trying to visualize what kind of dress Rey would want. Would she want something fancy or something simple? Laces and bows or plain? Red or blue? Light or dark? He spun in place until he saw an emerald dress on the back wall of the boutique. It was a simple dress, no ruffles or lace but he knew that Rey would like it and look beautiful in it. 

 

Later that day when Poe and Ben had come home from their exciting day of women’s fashion, Ben gave Rey the emerald dress separately from the others they had bought. 

 

“The green of the dress will bring out the green in your eyes.” He said awkwardly, he stared down at his shoes when she took the dress. Their hands brushed each other when she took it, he could feel the tops of his ears redden due to the sensation. He turned and walked away quickly, he didn’t hear her respond to him

 

The memory ended, and he focused on the letters he had received. Two invitations to tech lectures in Ach-To and Chandrila, he would decline both. A letter from his mother, he was in a happy mood now and didn’t want it spoiled by his mother demanding grandchildren or asking him to have tea with his grandparents. The final letter was a thick envelope with salt water stains across it, the postage was from Corellia. Ben swallowed, and his hands shook as he opened the envelope, inside was a letter written on three pages. Even before he started reading the letter he knew it was from his father, Han Solo, his chicken scratch writing was distinctive and unforgettable. 

 

“Ben, 

 

I understand why you have been avoiding my calls and letters for the past couple years, and why you are out of town whenever I visit your mother. This letter is to apologize for the way I have acted in the past. I am sorry for leaving you at the Jedi Academy when you were a child and never visiting you. I’m sorry for abandoning you and your mother to chase after the treasures beyond the sea, I can see that I missed out on so much with you two. 

 

I want to make things right with you and build a relationship with you in the future. Maybe not at father and son, since I was a terrible father, but maybe as friends. 

 

Your mother has invited me to visit and stay with her for the next few months before sailing to Takonda to begin a new business. I would like to see you and try to work out some of our issues.

 

I arrive ...”

 

Ben looked up from the letter, not bothering to read the end of it. He laid back in his chair, he was bewildered and taken aback by what he had just read. His father had never written him a letter before, this left Ben in a state of confusion and shock. Not only had his father wrote him a heartfelt letter, but he had apologized to Ben! Han Solo never apologized to anyone, why would he apologize to his own son? 

 

The only thing he for sure was that his mother had orchestrated this, she had been bringing Han up more often when they spoke on the phone or meet in person. Ben scanned the end of the letter and saw that Han would be arriving by the end of July or beginning of August. He knew he could avoid meeting with his father for a little while due to the beach vacation he had planned with Rey and Poe. Now he had to come with an excuse to not see his father until he leaves to Takonda for his new job. 

 

Ben didn’t hate his father, he just didn’t want to be abandoned or let down by him again. A childhood of hoping his father would show up and play with him or take him away on his ship, only for him to never show up or acknowledge Ben’s existence hurt him to the core. He didn’t enjoy looking back on his childhood, all the years of being bullied and isolation from his peers made him shudder. In the past he hated the isolation, but now he chose it. At least that was until Rey came into his life, and he never wanted her to leave his life. 

 

He turned and put the situation with his father’s visit to the back of his mind, he needed to focus on Rey who was currently struggling across the room on her lesson.

 

Rey 

 

“En ‘artford, ‘ereford an ‘ampshire ‘urricanes ‘ardly happen.” Rey repeated for what felt like the one hundredth time, the flame growing only on the last word just like the times before.

 

Rey was frustrated that this wasn’t becoming easier the more she practiced, in the other lessons she was able to get a few sounds right by her tenth try. But with this lesson she wasn’t grasping it as fast as the others before, she was trying hard, but it felt fruitless. 

 

She heard Ben stand from his desk and walk over to her, she turned and looked up at him.

 

“I’m tryin, really I’m tryin hard Professor.” Rey said as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

 

She tried taking a deep breath to stop the tears from coming out, but as she exhaled the tears rolled down her cheeks and wouldn’t stop. She sat for a few seconds quietly letting the tears slowly come out before giving into her frustration and despair. She started sobbing, all the anxiety of not being good enough and the fear of failure rolled out from her soul in the form of tears each one stinging her eyes. 

 

Ben kneeled next to her and pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, he wiped away the tears from her cheeks. His left hand wiped the tears away and the right caressed her face softly. 

 

“I know you are trying Rey, I can see how hard you are working. English is a difficult language to learn, let alone master, and you are doing so well.” He said in a comforting tone. 

 

“What if I fail? What if all of this is for nothin?” She said in between sobs. 

 

“This one hiccup is not the end of the world sweetheart.” His voice was soft and low when he said the last word, almost a whisper.

 

Rey looked into his chocolate eyes, searching to see if there was truth behind the words he had just spoken. His eyes showed no sign of regret or fear for what he had just spoken so freely into existence. He had just called her sweetheart, it made her stomach filled with butterflies and her face feel warm after the cool tears. 

 

Ben’s large hand caressed her cheek still and his thumb wiped her tears away as they now slowly fell. Rey leaned into the touch, savoring the feeling of him caring for her and the compassion that a soft hand could give. 

 

“Rey, I …” Ben said, a quiver settling in on his voice.

 

“Excuse me, Master Solo.” Came from the doorway.

 

Rey and Ben separated from each other as if they had been jolted by a strike of lightning. They looked at the tall blonde man standing in the Study’s doorway.

 

“Yes, Threepio. What do you need.” Ben replied curtly in a strained voice, the softness from his eyes had been replaced with a dark brooding glare. 

 

“Master Solo, your Uncle is on the phone.” Threepio said in a posh tone. 

 

Ben sighed and ran his fingers through his long raven hair and closed his eyes. 

 

“Tell him I will speak with him in a moment.”

 

“Yes, Master Solo.” The butler turned and walked out the door.

 

Ben stood from his kneeling position on the floor next to her chair, he walked to the door. When he reached the door, he turned and looked at her for a few moments. It looked like he wanted to say something important to her. 

 

“Keep working on the lesson, you will master the ‘h’ sound soon.” He said in his monotone voice and left the room.

 

Rey sat at the desk dumbfounded and confused by the events that had just transpired. She leaned back in her chair and put a hand on her cheek which had been left tingling after Ben’s touch disappeared. When she began crying out of frustration she had half expected him to laugh or yell at her for acting silly or being too emotional. She never expected him to comfort her, let alone call he sweetheart. 

 

Rey’s heart beat faster at the memory of his low voice whispering sweetheart so close to her ear, as if he only wanted her to hear it. Nobody had ever called her Sweetheart before in a compassionate way. Sure, drunk men looking for a fun time would call her sweetheart or baby, but she would feel disgusted when they did. But with Ben it made her feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, almost like how people would describe the feeling of love. 

 

Rey stood abruptly from her chair and looked into the mirror on the desk, her face was pink, and her eyes were puffy from crying. She looked the same as she always did but she felt different than before, something inside her had changed the moment Ben had caressed her and called her sweetheart. She was falling in love with Professor Ben Solo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Rey ever going to get the lessons correct? Will it push Ben over the edge?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter this morning! I've decided to change some of my original ideas for this fic and I will be including some new characters and more POV's soon. I hope you all like it!!

Chapter 7

 

Rey 

 

It was now June and Rey had been able to master the correct sound and pronunciations of words and say them individually, but she stumbles over saying them correctly in complete sentences. She could repeat back her previous lessons perfectly when she focused on a single word at a time. Since her breakdown over the fear of failing, Ben had been more of a hands-on teacher. He would write on a chalkboard the way words should be pronounced phonetically. This way of teaching had helped her immensely during her lessons and readings. 

 

The trio had fallen into a familiar routine for their days. Ben would awaken by 6 am and start working on lessons as well as lectures he would be making at local Universities. Poe would wake up at 7 am and read the paper in Ben’s study. Rey would be woken up by Ms. Phasma at 7:30 am, who would then help Rey with putting on her dress and fixing her hair before going downstairs for breakfast at 8 am. 

 

Around the dining room table, they would eat breakfast and discuss the upcoming lesson for the day, events Ben was looking to take her so that she could practice her conversation skills and their upcoming vacation to Naboo. After their plates were clean, they would go to Ben’s study and work on her lesson. After showing her the correct way to pronounce the words and the mechanics of saying the words, Ben would sit at his desk and read a novel. It was a new novel once a week, he devoured books and yearned to read as much as he could. Poe would sit on the couch and do the same, although he had only read two books since her arrival. Every so often Ben or Poe would correct her or help her understand the differences between the sounds. 

 

At 1 pm they would eat lunch and Ben would help her by letting her know what she should change to make sure it came out perfectly the next time she said it. After lunch they would go back to the study and continue the lessons until 6 pm when Mr. Threepio would ring that dinner was ready. After their evening meal the trio would retire to the study and spend time reading or talking about the day or what to look forward to in Naboo. Rey would go to her room at 8 pm and be in bed by 8:30 pm after Ms. Phasma helped her prepare for bed. Rey didn’t know when Poe or Ben went to bed, but it must be long after she fell asleep because she never heard them walk outside in the hallway. Rey would stay up until 9 pm reading a novel that Ben had picked out for her while he was in town one day, it was a fantasy novel about fencing, miracles, princesses and true love. She made sure to read at least one chapter a night before drifting off to sleep on her soft bed. 

 

On nice days Rey would go to the garden behind Ben’s house after lunch to review her lessons, but she spent most of her time admiring the flowers. Ben’s garden was unruly and massive, just like its owner. In Ben’s garden he had geraniums, catmint, petunias, marigolds, lavender and rose mallows to name a few. She would pick the flowers and then spend time arranging them into bouquets for the dining room table, her bedside table and Ben’s desk. She was surprised when Ben kept the flowers on his desk instead of putting them on the coffee table or simply throwing them away. She designed the bouquets for his desk to be different shades of red with contrasts of light blue and purple, she felt that the red was the best way of representing him. He was so gruff and intimidating on the outside but when you got to know him you could see the different colors that made him who he was. Those were her favorite bouquets to design because she felt like she was sharing her feelings with him but in a way that only she could see and understand. Whenever the flowers would start to wilt, she would exchange them for a new bunch, she told herself that she was practicing for when she became a lady in a flower shop.

 

Today the trio’s pattern was thrown to the wind, it was 11:30 pm and they were all awake and arguing in Ben’s study. 

 

“Rey! I know you can say it! Just try a bit harder and then we all can go to bed!” Ben said loudly. He was seated at his desk with his head hunched over and his fingers pulling at his hair. His tie was undone, his jacket was strewn over the chair he was sitting in and his normally crisp white shirt was wrinkled with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows which revealed his muscular forearms. 

 

“I can’t do it ‘nymore. I tried and tried but the words don’t flow together.” Rey yelled from her spot on the couch. She had her feet up on the table, her dress was uncinched, and her normally three neat buns were loose and falling in her face. 

 

“You can’t keep pushing her like this Ben! She needs sleep, you need sleep, God knows I need sleep.” Poe said while stifling a yawn. He was sitting in a lounge chair with a newspaper covering his face, his jacket and waistcoat were abandoned a few hours before. 

 

“Rey, just try one last time. ‘The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains.’ Put everything you have into saying it as perfectly as possible. And then we all can go to bed.” Ben said, not looking up from where he sat. 

 

Rey sat up on the couch and took a few deep breaths before starting again.

 

“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains.” Rey said slowly in a quiet voice. She was surprised by what she had just said, she looked at Ben who was now staring at her with wide eyes and a mouth gaping open. 

 

“Again.” He demanded.

 

“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains.” She said with confidence. She looked over at Poe, who had removed the newspaper from his face which revealed a bit of stubble across his chin and cheeks, who was beaming at her. 

 

“The other lesson, say the other lesson.” Ben said, while rising to his feet.

 

“In Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire hurricanes hardly happen.” Rey said with a smile, also rising to her feet.

 

“By George, she’s got it! I think she’s got it!” Ben said with a wide smile, “Now, once again where does it rain?” He took a few steps around his desk to the open area of the room. 

 

“On the plain! On the plain!” Rey enthusiastically shouted as she closed the distance between them.

 

“And where is that soggy plain?” Pie shouted, jumping up from his chair and bounding over to them.

 

“In Spain! In Spain!” Rey said with a laugh and jumped up and down. “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains!”

 

Ben ran over to the chalkboard that had the ‘H’ lesson written on it. 

 

“In Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire…” He stated while pointing to the words 

 

“Hurricanes hardly happen.” Rey finished the lesson with a giggle, spinning around so her dress would twirl and fly around her.

 

Ben cleared his throat and she stopped mid twirl to see that he had moved to stand in front of her.

 

“Now once again, where does it rain?” He said in a deep voice, while staring down into her eyes. 

 

“On the plain.” She matched his tone and stare with the same intensity. 

 

“And where is that blasted plain?” He asked while taking a step closer to her so that their chests were only an inch or two apart. 

 

“In Spain.” She said with a sly smile creeping across her lips.

 

Suddenly, Ben’s large hands were wrapped around her waist as he picked her up and spun her around, as if she weighed nothing. Her hands clasped together around his neck, she could feel his soft hair tickling her fingers. She was tempted to play with his hair, a blush crept up her body as the thought entered her mind. 

 

“THE RAIN IN SPAIN STAYS MAINLY IN THE PLAINS!” Ben yelled when he set her feet back on the floor and embraced her in a tight hug. 

 

With Rey’s face buried in his chest she noticed that he smelled like nutmeg and musk, his arms were taut with muscle and he was warm and easy to melt into. He let go of her after a few seconds.

 

“Professor Solo, what is going on.” Ms. Phasma’s voice rang through the study in an annoyed tone. 

 

Rey looked at the doorway to the study to see that the normally put together housekeeper was in her robe and slippers. Her slicked back platinum white hair was disheveled and sticking up in odd places. If she wasn’t so afraid of the housekeeper Rey might have laughed at her sleepy appearance. 

 

“A breakthrough, Ms. Phasma, a breakthrough.” Ben let go of Rey and walked over to the housekeeper. “Tomorrow you will take Rey to Could City Boutique and get her a big flowery hat and a beautiful dress. We are going to Canto Bight next weekend to show off Rey’s newly acquired skills.” 

 

“Yes, sir. But please go to bed or else we won’t be able to go out or design what Rey is to wear.” Ms. Phasma replied before letting out an exasperated sigh, she retreated up the stairs while muttering under her breath. 

 

“I shall follow her lead and go to bed too. Congratulations Rey. I am so proud of you.” Poe said with a yawn, he squeezed Rey’s arm before going up the stairs. 

 

A few moments of silence followed before Rey broke the silence. 

 

“I will go to bed too. Thank you, Ben, … I mean Professor.” She stumbled over the last few words, not realizing at first, she used the name she called him in her mind. 

 

“Please call me Ben. And you did a good job tonight, I knew you could do it.” He said with a smile. “I’ll see you in the morning before shopping with Ms. Phasma.”

 

Rey bounded up the stairs, stopping at the top and looking down into the study. Ben was looking up at her, she smiled, and her blush returned.

 

“Good night … Ben.”

 

“Good night Rey.” He replied quietly.

 

She skipped to her room and undressed quickly before jumping into bed. She was excited to go shopping for Canto Bight.

 

Ms. Phasma

 

“I want her in something elegant with maybe something floral on the side. And a big hat, something my mother would wear. Not that I want Rey to look like my mother, but I want her to be a person with class and regality.” Professor Solo stumbled over his words. 

 

Ms. Phasma noticed that he always did that when talking about Rey, internally she laughed. She thought it was adorable that he was hopelessly in love with his student. She nodded and made a mental note of elegant and flowers to the description of what to look for. Rey came down the stairs dressed in a light blue dress and walked over to her and Professor Solo. Rey and Professor Solo both blushed when they stood next to each other. 

 

“Good morning Ms. Phasma. Good morning Ben.” Rey greeted them.

 

“Good morning Rey, are you ready for your shopping trip with Ms. Phasma?” Professor Solo asked Rey, the blush receding and his tone returning to normal.

 

“Oh, I thought you were coming with us Ben?” Rey asked, sounding disappointed. 

 

“Uh, I thought it was better for you two to go pick it out.” His ears began to tinge a shade of deep red.

 

Before anyone could respond, Mr. Threepio entered the room and announced.

 

“Car is ready, Ms. Phasma.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Threepio. Rey and I will see you later Professor Solo.” She said and placed a hand on Rey’s shoulder, leading her out of the room and down the hall to the front door. 

 

*Two Hours Later*

 

They had looked at almost every dress in the Cloud City Boutique and they hadn’t found anything that had fit the Professor’s requirements. Ms. Phasma was exhausted, she didn’t enjoy shopping or understand fashion, but she did enjoy helping Rey.

 

Over the last two hours Ms. Phasma had learned a lot about Rey and could understand why Professor Solo was in love with her. And she could see that Rey was in love with him too. Both were hopelessly in love with each other and they couldn’t see it. 

 

Ms. Phasma was ready to give up on the shopping trip when she saw the perfect dress, it fit all of the Professor’s requirements and she knew that he would fall even more in love with Rey when he saw her wearing it to Canto Bight.

 

“Rey, I’ve found the dress.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Race Day and the test day are here! Will Ben be ready to present Rey to the Upper Class?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY FOR NOT POSTING LAST WEEK! I quit my terrible job, became the family Uber and had to help my family while my dad went to the other side of the country to take care of my Uncle. I hope you all like this chapter and I promise for another update next week

Chapter 8

 

Ben 

 

It was race day at the Canto Bight Opening Race, everyone from high society was in attendance, including his mother. When Rey and Ms. Phasma had gone shopping the previous weekend, he worked up the nerve to call his mother to ask her for a favor.

 

Last Saturday 

 

“Organa Residence. Whom may I say is calling?” A chipper voice answered the telephone after one ring. 

 

“Hello, Ms. Artoo, it’s Benn calling. May I speak to my mother please?” 

 

“Of course, Professor Solo. She’ll be so happy to hear from you.” 

 

He heard Ms. Artoo put the phone down and call his mother’s name, a few seconds of silence were followed by a muffled conversation between the lady of the house and her house keeper. He heard footsteps followed by his mother’s voice.

 

“Ben? What happened? Are you alright?” Her voice was cracking with nervous energy.

 

“Mother, I’m fine.” He replied, pinching the bridge of his nose as he spoke. 

 

“You only call when you need a favor or in trouble. I assume you’re calling about the former?” 

 

He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, if he didn’t truly need the favor he would have yelled and hung up the phone already.

 

“I am, mother.” 

 

“What can I do for you Ben?” She sounded surprised and suspicious that he didn’t over react or ended the call, but instead admitted his reason for the call.

 

“Can I come with you to Canto Bight Races with you next weekend? My friend, Poe Dameron and I are conducting an experiment with a young lady and we need to test it on your upper class and high society friends.” 

 

His question was followed by a few seconds of silence on his mother’s end, she must have been stunned by his question.

 

“A young lady? Do I know her parent’s? Is she from one of your lectures?” She squealed with excitement.

 

“Mother!” Ben interrupted. “She is a student of mine, no you wouldn’t know her parent’s because she is an orphan from Jakku.” He said hurriedly, he didn’t want this to be a long conversation. He wanted confirmation that he could bring Rey and Poe to Canto Bight.

 

“What? Please explain why you need to come to Canto Bight because I don’t understand. They won’t let just anyone in, there is a strict dress code and…”

 

“I know mother, Rey has been taught to act proper with the upper class and speak proper English. She is currently shopping for a dress right now. She will look the part of a high society woman, but she needs help with her conversation skills. We’ve been learning and practicing for three months now and she needs real world experience.” He interrupted his mother again and made sure to describe the situation as briefly as possible.

 

“Just a student?” His mother asked with a tone of disappointment. 

 

“Yes, mother just a student.” His heart sank when he said the words out loud, that’s all he and Rey could be.

 

“Yes, you three can come and watch the races in my box.” Her voice returning to its normal chipper and positive tone. 

 

“Thank you, Mother!” A smile blooming across his face when he heard the news. 

 

“But Ben we will have to talk about your father’s vis- “

 

Ben cut her voice off by hanging up the phone, he didn’t want to think about his father at the moment.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

Ben’s thoughts returned to the present as he walked along the side of the track, a race had just finished, and he could see the Fathiers at the other end of the track panting and cooling down before the next race. He turned his attention to the stairs along the track and began the walk up to his mother’s box, he squinted as he walked up the stairs. The silver décor of the Canto Bight stadium reflected in the early summer sun, the weather was warming up and getting ready for the summer in the city. 

 

Ben turned and looked over to the track again, he used to come to the races when he was a child with his mother. As a child he loved watching the beautiful beasts run as fast as the wind, but as he got older, he saw the mistreatment of the animals and how the upper class didn’t care. As he walked up the rest of the stairs, he was so focused on the mistreatment and inhumane way the animals were pushed to the breaking point he didn’t notice that he was quickly approaching his mother’s box. Ben was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice the low hanging red velvet rope blocking the door way to his mother’s box, he tripped over the ropes stumbling and falling into the reserved box. 

 

“You always like to make an entrance, don’t you Ben?” His mother stood above him, shaking her head with pity and a hint of disappointment. 

 

Ben looked up at his mother and groaned. He took a few seconds to look around the room, relief washing over him when he realized that he was the only one there. The box looked exactly as it was as he remembered it. The box overlooked the race track with a wide-open window containing no glass, three rows of plush couches looked out the window. On the sides of the rooms there were long tables filled with savory and sweet treats. The savory table had light sandwiches and bite size pieces of food, perfect for those who are hungry but don’t want to appear that they are hungry. The sweet table was filled with chocolates and other desserts from all over London and other surrounding countries. His mother always put on a show for the Canto Bight Opening Race. 

 

Ben stood up from his position on the floor, he towered over his mother by almost a foot, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

 

“You know I always do.” He said with a wink, he was in a good mood today. 

 

He looked at his mother, Leia, she was wearing a navy-blue floor-length dress with long sleeves and a star cut out along the neckline. She was wearing a gold ring with a purple jewel in it, it was one that his father had given her a few years ago. Her brown hair was pulled up into an elaborate bun braids and jewels woven into it, grey streaks peppered throughout her hair. It was hard to believe that the Princess, Former Prime Minister and mother, Leia Organa, was growing older. She never let age stop her though, she was tough and formidable, always ready to joke around or stand up for what she believes in no matter what her outward appearance looked like. 

 

“Be glad you did that before any of my other guests showed up. It would have ruined your little experiment.” She walked over to the top row of seats and sat down. 

 

He followed her to the seats and sat down next to her. A waiter walked over and presented his mother a tea cup on a silver platter, she took it from him and thanked him before he turned away. 

 

“Who is coming?” He asked.

 

“Ms. Rose Tico, Mr. Finn Storm, Ms. Amilyn Holdo and a few more guests. They typical group at these events.” She took a sip of tea before continuing. “Tell me about how this experiment came about? Who is this girl and why are you performing this experiment? What’s in it for you and her?” 

 

Ben thought back on the last few months and his relationship with Rey, a summarization of the past few months would be too difficult to come up with, so he started from the beginning. 

 

“I was at the theater one night…” Ben told his mother everything about the experiment, meeting Rey, all the lessons and more. 

 

When he finished telling the story the other guest began to arrive, his mother got up and started greeting her guests. He sat in his seat and watched the race finish on the track before standing up and walking over to the savory table and eating a sandwich. After eating the painfully small sandwich he walked over to his mother, remembering to inform her about specific talking points for Rey when two people walked in the box. 

 

“Mother I…”

 

“Mr. Finn Storm and Ms. Rose Tico, I would like to introduce my son, Professor Ben Solo.” His mother said with a smile. 

 

Ben nodded to the man and woman standing with his mother, they were facing the door way and his mother was standing opposite them. He walked over and stood next his mother, he leaned down and whispered to her.

 

“Can I talk to you in a moment?” 

 

“Of course, Ben.” She whispered back. 

 

He turned and looked back at the doorway, his stomach was full of butterflies and his heart began to race. Rey and Poe would be arriving soon, and he was anxious to have her show off her new skills to these entitled guests. 

 

He tried to focus on the conversation between Mr. Finn, Ms. Rose and his mother. They were discussing the races and how exciting the opening day was, even though their faces looked bored and unimpressed with the spectacle. He began to zone out of the conversation until he heard Mr. Finn ask his mother.

 

“Who is that?” 

 

Ben turned around to see who Mr. Finn was talking about, when he saw who it was, he audibly gasped and then smiled. Rey and Poe had just entered his mother’s box on Canto Bight Opening Race Day, the experiment was in full effect now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marar1917


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey has arrived at the Canto Bight Opening day race! Everyone has noticed the newcomer, especially a new young man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO EVERYONE!! It is the last week of summer for me! But I am so excited to go back to school, because I only have a few more classes left till I get by Bachelors Degree!

Chapter 9

 

Ben

 

Rey was absolutely stunning, she stole the attention of the entire room when she walked through the door. Ben almost couldn’t believe she was the same woman he had met on the street a few months ago. The woman standing in his mother’s racing box doorway radiated confidence and sophistication. 

 

Rey was on the arm of Poe, he was wearing a simple black tuxedo with a matching top hat, but no one was looking at him once they took a look at Rey. Ben looked at Poe and saw that he was wearing the proudest and biggest smile across his face. Poe looked at Ben and winked their plan had worked, for the first part. 

 

Rey was an ethereal goddess dressed in form fitting white lace dress that flared at her ankles, long sheer lace sleeves that flared at the wrist and the neckline was a tall collar that went up to her chin. The dress was trimmed with black velvet and had accents of black throughout the dress. A black ribbon wrapped around Rey’s waist, accentuating her tiny waist, and tied into a big bow in the back. Down her back delicate black buttons followed a perfect line form the shape of her neck down to the small of her back. Rey was wearing a white wide brimmed hat that had a black ribbon on the edges and on the base of the hat, it was decorated with delicate pink and purple flowers nestled on the side. Rey turned her head and he finally saw her face, it had been hidden by the hat until now, and Ben was left in awe. Rey looked like herself but more ethereal, her makeup was simple but made her glow and sparkle in the crowd. Her brown hair was hidden under her hat, but a few loose tendrils fell in curls around her face. When he had first seen Rey in her dress, he was left speechless, but when she looked up and he saw her face his breath was stolen.

 

Ben could kiss Ms. Phasma for dressing Rey so beautifully. This morning when they were preparing for the races, he was confused to why Ms. Phasma had kicked him out early to go to the race. She had said it was to help his mother prepare for the experiment and that it would be more natural that Poe would escort Rey to the race as a friend instead of Ben escorting her as her teacher. Seeing her here instead of at home was amazing, she was an absolute vision.

 

Leia walked forward and greeted Poe and Rey, Poe smiled and bowed to his mother and Rey curtsied. Rey looked around the room until her eyes connected with his own, she smiled bright and winked at him. His mother leaned forward and whispered something in Rey’s ear, her smile grew, and she let out a polite soft laugh. 

 

Ben started walking over to the three people he knew when he intercepted by Finn Storm. Finn walked over to Rey and bowed, he took her hand and kissed it. Leia introduced Rey and Poe to Finn, Rey blushed and smiled politely at Finn, something in the way she looked at Finn made Ben’s stomach churn. Ben felt something he had never felt before…jealousy. 

 

Finn Storm

 

Canto Bight Opening Day was always exciting, sure the races were gripping but it was more interesting to see who was in attendance. When Finn arrived with his dear friend Rose Tico, they looked around Lia Organa’s Box. 

 

“Every Duke and Earl and peer is here.” Rose said quietly before taking a sip of tea. 

 

Finn nodded and replied, “Everyone who should be here is here, even Leia’s son Ben is here. I haven’t seen him in attendance here for years.” 

 

“I’m surprised he is here, maybe he owes his mother a favor.” Rose speculated.

 

“I bet, you know he’s not the most- “Finn stopped mid-sentence when he saw a vision in white walk through the Box entrance. 

 

The vision was a woman in a white lace dress standing next to a man in a black suit and tie. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she looked familiar but couldn’t place where he had seen her before. 

 

Finn lost his train of thought, he forgot he was speaking to Rose, forgot there was a race going on and forgot that there were other people in the box other than the woman in white. He was so entranced in seeing her that he didn’t realize that his feet were moving on their own accord. He was suddenly standing in front of her without knowing what to say or do. He remembered his manners and bowed to her and kissed her hand. 

 

“Ms. Kenobi and Mr. Dameron, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Finn Storm. He is a former pilot for the Queen’s army but now he works in politics with me.” Leia said to the two in front of him. She turned and looked at him. “Mr. Storm, this is Ms. Rey Kenobi and her good friend Mr. Poe Dameron. They are staying in London until the Winter Ball.” 

 

“It’s an honor to meet you Ms. Rey Kenobi.” He said breathlessly. 

 

“How kind to meet you Mr. Storm.” The beautiful brunette said with a voice as clear and as beautiful as a church bell. 

 

“Please call me Finn. Would you like to sit with me and watch the next race? It will be starting in a few minutes.” 

 

She looked at her friend and then over Finn’s shoulder before nodding. He lifted his elbow and she wrapped her hand around his arm as he led her to his seats. Rose was already sitting and talking with Ms. Amilyn Holdo.

 

“Rose, Amilyn. I would like to introduce you to Ms. Rey Kenobi.” 

 

The women who were seated looked up and nodded to Rey before continuing their conversation. Finn helped Rey sit down and then sat next to her. 

 

“Would you like some tea?” Finn asked. 

 

A shadow enveloped the two and a deep voice spoke, voice surprised Finn.

 

“Here’s your tea Ms. Kenobi.” The deep voice said.

 

Finn turned and looked up at the giant man who was standing behind him and Rey. It was Leia’s son, Ben. Finn felt intimidated and looked over to Rey to see how she was reacting to the tall dark man, she looked relaxed and smiled up at him. 

 

“Thank you, Professor Solo. You are looking well today.” She said calmly before accepting the tea from him. 

 

“How do you two know each other?” Finn inquired. Rey was the personification of light and Ben was the darkest person he had ever met. How could these opposite people know each other? 

 

Rey opened her mouth and looked up at Ben before he responded, “Her and Mr. Dameron are guests staying at my home for the next few months.” He said, his voice deep and dark. 

 

Ben stared into Finn’s eyes as if he was trying to tell him something without using words. Finn shifted nervously before starting a new conversation including Rose, Amilyn, Rey and Ben. 

 

“How did the winter weather treat you last year? I heard that this year will be worse than any of the previous winters.”

 

“I hope we won’t have any unseasonable cold spells in the next few months; they bring on so much influenza.” Rose replied. 

 

“My friend died of influenza, or so they said. But it’s my belief they done the woman in.” Rey said. 

 

“Done her in?” Amilyn asked.

 

“Yes, Lord above. Why should she die of influenza, when she came through influenza right enough the year before? Fairly blue with it she was. They all thought she was dead. But her brother kept ladling gin down her throat. Then she came to so sudden she bit the bowl right off the spoon.” Rey said with a serious tone. 

 

“Dear me!” Rose said with a gasp and she held tightly to her teacup. 

 

“Now, what call would a woman with that strength in her have to die of influenza? And what become of her new straw hat that should have come to me?” Rey paused and took a sip of tea. “Somebody pinched it. And what I say is: them as pinched it, done her in.”

 

“Done her in? Done her in, did you say?” Amilyn asked again. “Whatever does it mean?”

 

“It’s the new slang, meaning someone killed her.” Finn answered.

 

“Surely, you don’t think someone killed her?” Rose asked, still holding her teacup tightly. 

 

“Do I not? Them she lived with would have killed her for a hat pin, let alone a hat.” Rey replied. 

 

Finn giggled. Rye turned and looked at him with great concern.

 

“What are you giggling at?” She said ferociously.

 

“Nothing, ma’am. You tell a lively and entertaining story. I’m sure you entertain many when you are at your home. Maybe we could have dinner together and you could tell me more stories?” 

 

Rey smiled and was about to respond before the announcer came over the P.A. Speakers.

 

“FIRST OFFICAL RACE OF THE DAY IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.” 

 

Everyone stood up and walked over to the viewing window, overlooking the track. 

 

“Who am I to root for?” Rey asked him. 

 

Finn pulled out a ticket from his pocket and showed her. “I placed a bet on Dover. You can cheer for him and be my good luck charm.” He said with a smile. 

 

They walked over to the window together a few seconds before the gun went off which started the race. Everyone in the box was quiet, down below in the general seats were cheering loudly. 

 

“Come on Dover.” Rey whispered. 

 

The Fathiers rounded the first corner of the track.

 

“Come on Dover, move it Dover.” Rey said a bit louder than before. 

 

The Fathiers began the last turn down the home stretch to the finish line. 

 

“COME ON, DOVER! MOVE YOUR BLOOMIN’ ARSE!” Rey screamed. 

 

Everyone in the box turned and stared at the young woman whose face was now flushed and the color of a ripe tomato. She turned and walked out of the crowded window area before running to the exit. 

 

“Rey, wait!” Ben called to her and ran after her. 

 

“I’m sorry for the disturbance. She’s a high-spirited woman when it comes to sports.” Poe apologized to the crowd before following the direction of Rey and Ben. 

 

Finn stood there in awe after watching everyone leave the window area and go back to their seats to discuss the event’s that had just unfolded. 

 

Finn walked over to Leia and asked, “Where is Ms. Kenobi staying? I would like to call on her soon. I really liked her high-spirited energy and wit.”

 

Leia looked at him with surprise before telling him the address. He couldn’t wait to see Rey again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 nd @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a disastrous day at the Canto Bight Race track how will Rey recover from the embarrassment from messing up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School starts for me tomorrow! I am so excited! After this semester I have 7 classes left before I get my Bachelor's degree!

Chapter 10

 

Rey 

 

Canto Bight Opening day started out great, she was talking properly with the other guests and she looked like she belonged in the box with everyone else. Then she had to get too excited and too enthralled by the race and ruin it all. All the hard work and practice suddenly flushed away when she opened her mouth and shouted, “MOVE YOUR BLOOMIN’ ARSE!”. When she ran out of Ms. Leia Organa’s box, she ran toward the parking garage that she and Poe had parked in only a short time before. Poe had driven the car to the race with her sitting in the back seat nervously playing with the black ribbon at the edge of her dress. When Rey arrived at the car, she tried to open the door before realizing that she didn’t have keys to get inside, she moved to the front of the car and sat on the hood. 

 

Since she was completely alone now the tears flowed freely down her cheeks, landing on the beautiful lace that covered her lap. When Ms. Phasma was helping her get dressed this morning she felt like a Princess, the dress was the most beautiful piece of clothing she had ever seen or owned. Ms. Phasma was helped Rey get dressed and did her hair and makeup, smiling the whole time and chatting freely and relaxed with her. In the past few months Ms. Phasma and Rey had warmed up to each other and had developed a friendly repertoire during their interactions. Now Rey had ruined the makeup with her tears and her heart was broken because she had failed this test miserably. You could take the girl out of the gutter, but you couldn’t take the gutter out of the girl, she thought. 

 

“REY, there you are.” Ben said breathlessly. 

 

She looked up at her teacher and let out a watery laugh. Ben, her normally well put together teacher, was bright red and glistening with sweat. 

 

“Ben, you look like you ran in the race!” She said in between laughs, her body was shaking with laughter.

 

Ben walked closer and stood directly in front of her. She looked up into her teacher’s dark eyes, they were full of concern and compassion. The tears still falling from her eyes, looking up made them fall faster down her cheeks. 

 

“Why did you run?” He asked quietly, while he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began to delicately wipe the tears from her face.

 

“I…I messed up. I cursed and yelled. I made a complete and utter fool of myself in front of your mother’s upper-class friends. I am not a lady and today proved it.” She put her face into her hands and sobbed. 

 

Ben lifted her chin up and stared down into her eyes, he continued to wipe the tears off her face. 

 

“Shh, shh. It’s alright, sweetheart. You didn’t mess up, they were impressed by you. Sure, the end wasn’t what they were used to or what we had planned but it made an impression on them.” He stopped wiping her face and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. 

 

Rey leaned forward and rested her head on his chest and breathed in the smell of his cologne and musk, that smell calmed her and made her feel safe. He tightened the embrace and rubbed her back with one of his large hands. 

 

“Let’s get you home so you can relax and get a hot meal before we get ready to go to Naboo tomorrow. We all need a vacation.”

 

She nodded silently into his chest. All she wanted to do was to go home, take a bath and eat her weight in chocolate.

 

“REY, BEN! There you are!!” Poe yelled. 

 

Ben let go of her and took a step back, she immediately missed the presence of his hands on her back. She sat up straight and looked at Poe, he too was bright red and out of breath when he came closer to the pair. 

 

“Did you run in the race Poe?” She joked.

 

“I would for you my dear.” He said, coming over and embracing her in a tight hug. 

 

When he let go, he helped her off the hood of the car and he opened the car doors. Poe sat in the driver’s seat and started the car, Rey and Ben sat in the backseat. When Poe pulled out of the parking garage, Rey leaned over and rested her head on Ben’s chest again, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She relaxed into his embrace and fell asleep in his arm as he pulled her closer toward him, he last thought before sleep engulfed her was about how different Poe’s and Ben’s embraces were. With Poe it felt like an older brother or a family member, but Ben’s felt more intimate and personal. 

 

Finn Storm

 

Finn walked down Millennium Falcon street, the sun had just set behind the line of houses and the street lamps had just turned on. He had left the Canto Bight Races as soon as the final race had ended, although he couldn’t remember who had won, his mind was miles away thinking about the beautiful brunette who lived on this street. When he left the parking garage, he went to the closest florist shop and picked out a simple bouquet of yellow sunflowers and white daisy’s and set off to the street where Rey lives. 

 

"I have often walked down this street before. But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before". Finn thought to himself. He looked at the different homes, looking for the one Rey was staying at. "All at once I am several stories high, knowing I’m on the street where you live". 

 

His heart beat with such an intensity that he was convinced the whole street could hear it beat with nervousness. He walked up to the front door of 2187 Millennium Falcon street and knocked on the door. After a few moments a tall blonde woman came to the door. 

 

“Can I help you, sir?” She asked.

 

“Yes, I would like to call on Ms. Rey Kenobi please.” He said with a quiver in his voice.

 

“Who may I say is calling?”

 

“Finn Storm, tell her I was the one who laughed at her fantastic story.”

 

“I’ll see if she wants a visitor tonight.”

 

“Thank you, ma’am.” Finn said enthusiastically.

 

She walked back into the house and shut the door behind her. Finn looked around the neighborhood and down the street. 

 

"Are there lilac tree’s in this part of town? Can you hear a lark in any other part of town? Does enchantment pour out of every door? No, it’s just on the street where you live". He thought with a smile. 

 

There was something about Rey that gave Finn butterflies in his stomach and made him nervous whenever he thought of her. 

 

"When she mentioned how her fried bit off the spoon, she completely done me in. And I never saw a more enchanting farce than the moment when she shouted “MOVE YOUR BLOOMIN’- “"

 

The door opened behind him and interrupted his thoughts. He spun around hoping to see the beautiful brunette, but it was the tall woman again. 

 

“I’m sorry sir, but she doesn’t want to see anyone tonight.” She said, turning to go back into the house. 

 

“Wait, when can I call on her again?” He asked.

 

“The Professor is taking Ms. Kenobi and Mr. Dameron on holiday next week. You can call on her after they return.”

 

“Thank you again ma’am. Would you please give these to her?” He handed her the bouquet of flowers.

 

“Yes, sir.” She took the flowers and entered the house, leaving him standing on the steps where Rey lives.

 

Finn walked down the stairs and began walking down the street. 

 

"Let the time go by I won’t care if I can be here on the street where you live." He turned and looked back at 2187 Millennium Falcon street. "Let me be on the street where you live."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917  
> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the worst day of her life Rey, Poe and Ben head to Naboo for a relaxing holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classes are back in session for me! I have a super hot teacher, I so blessed this semester!   
> Have you guys heard Taylor Swifts new album? What's your favorite songs? I love Death by a Thousand Cuts but it makes me sob.   
> Any thoughts on what came out at D23? I can't wait for the new trailer and information.

Chapter 11

 

Rey 

 

Ms. Phasma delivered Rey a beautiful bouquet of flowers after dinner had finished and she was going upstairs to retire for the night. She was mentally and emotionally exhausted, all she wanted to do was to pack for Naboo and go to bed.

 

“Mr. Finn Storm left these for you Rey.” Ms. Phasma said, before turning to walk away. 

 

“Oh, what do I do with them?” Rey asked, she was holding the flowers away from her as if it was a joke sent to her.

 

“What do you mean?” Ms. Phasma inquired. Her brow furrowed, and her face looked annoyed by Rey’s question.

 

“Do I call him to say, ‘Thank You’? Do I write a ‘Thank You’ note? No man before has ever given me flowers before. In fact, no man has ever given me anything before, except Ben and Poe but those are different because they are my teachers and friends…” Rey trailed off at the end, looking down at her flowers she was so lost in thought she didn’t think before saying the last sentence. 

 

Rey looked up at Ms. Phasma, whose face had softened, and her eyes were glossy as if she was on the brink of tears. 

 

“What’s wrong Ms. Phasma? Did I say something to upset you?” Rey asked, stepping forward to comfort the housekeeper.

 

“No, Rey, just some dust in my eyes. Uh, I told Mr. Finn Storm that you were going on holiday for the next week, you can send him a note when you return.” Ms. Phasma said while regaining her normal composure and wiping her eyes. “Would you like me to help you pack for Naboo?”

 

“Yes, please. I’ve never been on holiday before, so I have no idea what to pack.” Rey said while walking up the stairs. 

 

“I’m happy to help, Rey.” Ms. Phasma said quietly while following her upstairs to her room.

 

~~The Next Morning~~

 

Rey watched from her bedroom window as Mr. Threepio loaded the last of the luggage into Poe’s car. Poe and Ben were looking at a map that laid out on top of the car’s hood. Even though she couldn’t her them she could tell from their body language and hand movements that they were arguing, most likely they were arguing about the best way to get to Naboo. 

 

Rey turned away from the window and looked around her room, on her bed was a small bag that was filled with books and other things to keep her occupied during the drive to Naboo. She walked over to her bed and placed a few sheets of her previous lessons plans in the bag, she knew this vacation was to get away from the lessons, but she liked practicing them. 

 

Rey looked over her room one more time, to see if she had forgotten anything, her eyes landed on the flowers that Finn had delivered the night before. She picked them up off the dresser and took a deep breath, inhaling their delicately sweet perfumes. In a split moment decision, she decided to bring them to Naboo with her. She picked up her bag and flowers and walked out the door, heading downstairs to begin a relaxing vacation. 

 

When Rey got to the car, she started loading her items in the back seat, saving the flowers for last so that they wouldn’t be crushed by anything. 

 

“Rey, why are you bringing those with you?” Ben asked, abandoning his argument with Poe and focusing on the flowers in her hand. 

 

Rey looked at him with surprise before replying, “Uh, they were a gift and they will most likely wilt and die by the time we return home. I want to enjoy my gift before they are gone forever. This is the first time a man has ever given me a gift before.” She said with a smile, a blush grew across her cheeks. 

 

“What about the gifts I … we give you?” Ben’s ears turned pink as he asked. 

 

“Ben, you and Poe are different because you are my teachers and friends. This is different, they are from an admirer.” The smile and blush grew deeper as she said the final word. 

 

Ben muttered something under his breath and got into the passenger seat of the car. Rey looked at Poe with a questioning look, Poe shrugged and walked to the driver’s side and got in. Rey let out a sigh and sat in the back seat, this was going to be a long drive. 

 

~~A Few Hours Later~~

 

Rey had fallen asleep after the first hour of driving, the sounds of the city slowly faded away and was replaced by the silence of the country side. Rey had lived her whole life living in the dirty and loud city, she was excited to see how different the country and seaside was from her home. 

 

Rey woke up as the sun had begun to set, she yawned and stretched in the backseat before looking out the window. They were driving down a dirt road lined by big weeping willow trees, the golden sunset streamed through the leaves of the trees. Just the driveway looked magical to Rey, she was in awe of how beautiful the area looked and how it looked like it was an oil painting. 

 

The road opened into a large drive way at the end was a stately blue and white beach house with a wrap-around porch littered with rocking chairs and a swing. Rey was looking at the beautiful vacation home that she didn’t notice that the car had stopped. 

 

“Rey, we’re here.” Ben said while opening her car door. 

 

Rey collected her things from the backseat of the car and then exited the car, her mouth still wide in awe from the view. 

 

“Is this yours?” Rey asked Ben, turning to look up at him.

 

“Yes, but I don’t come out here often.” Ben looked at the house, but Rey stared up at him. He looked relaxed her, as if this place was a calming presence for him. “This was my grandmother’s, she loved Naboo and always wanted her family to stay here when they were on holiday. I am the only one who uses it now.” 

 

“Oh, it’s very beautiful. I can see why she loved it, and why you love it too.” She was staring at him.

 

Maybe it was the tiredness, the sea air or the sunset but she saw him in a different light. He looked relaxed and handsome in the golden glow. 

 

“I want to show you something.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear. 

 

“Alright.” Her body shivered with anticipation and her breath hitched when he took her hand. 

 

“Poe, I’m going to show Rey around the house. Feel free to choose your room and the chef has made dinner already.” 

 

“Thank you, Ben. Goodnight Rey, have fun looking at the view.” Poe said, before gathering his bags from the trunk and heading into the house.

 

Ben led Rey up the stairs and around the side of the house on the porch, the view changed from a yard covered with willow trees to a large unobstructed view of the sea. Rey audible gasped at the view. The sea was reflecting the pink and golden hues of the sunset, the waves were slowly coming into the shore which was a few yards away from where they currently stood. Ben let go of her hand and wrapped his hand and arm around her waist, drawing her close to his side. She leaned into his chest and took a deep breath, the smell of the salty sea air and his cologne relaxed her, the stress and the humiliation from the day before melting away. 

 

“Tomorrow I’ll show you the sea and the beach.” He whispered in her ear. 

 

“I can’t wait.” She said, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment. 

 

“You should head to bed, you seem really tired.” Ben said, slowly letting go of her waist but then holding her hand again. 

 

“I’ll grab my bags and then retire to my room. Good night Ben.” Rey squeezed his hand before letting go and walking to the front of the porch. She turned and looked back at him, he was looking out at the ocean, his shoulders relaxed and expression soft. She smiled and grabbed her bags, leaving the flowers in the back of the car. 

 

Rey went up to her room and changed into her nightgown not bothering to look around her room. She laid down in bed and drifted off to sleep, her dreams running rampant with the imaginary life she and Ben could have by the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's dreams feel so real and true, is she disappointed when she wakes up or relieved to be awake from a nightmare?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! I'm sorry I didn't post last week, Hurricane Dorian looked like he was coming straight at me but then decided to go away, like all the guys in my life.  
> I really want to thank WinglessOne for leaving amazing and supportive comments on each chapter!! And thank you to sweetlittlemissnothing on tumblr for sharing my story as one of her favorite Reylo Fanfictions!  
> I really truly love writing this fanfic and I can't wait for you all to keep reading it

Chapter 12

 

Rey

 

Rey’s dreams were never like this before. In the past she would waltz through a haze and wake up without remembering anything about what had happened in them, they usually would leave her with a feeling but nothing notable to remember. The first night in Naboo had brought her dreams that shook her and lasted in her mind long after waking up. Rey’s dream felt solid and real, more like a memory or a premonition than anything. 

 

Ben and Rey were sitting on a couch together in the Naboo Cottage, each of them reading out a different book. Ben’s arm was wrapped around Rey’s shoulder and her face was lying on his chest. Ben was wearing a black silk button down pajama shirt and he smelled like the sea air and his natural musk, Rey kept breathing the scent in, committing it to her memory. There was a fire burning in the fire place and they had a flannel blanket coving their intertwined legs, the window showed the ocean with the sun setting into it. The only sounds that could be heard was the waves crashing onto the shore and the occasional seagull plying past their private cottage. Rey took a deep breath as Ben leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, Rey closed her eyes. 

 

When she opened her eyes up the scene had changed, Ben was now sitting at a desk in a library. The library was much smaller than the one on 2187 Millennium Falcon Street, but it had all their favorite books on the shelves. Rey was standing beside him, Ben was writing a letter to someone, she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead before walking to an overstuffed high back chair. She sat down and pulled out a marron sweater that was half finished and began to knit, the sweater was large enough for Ben. Ben stood up and walked over to the small table next to Rey and poured himself a cup of tea, he looked down at her with love filled eyes and said something to her, no sound escaped his lips but she knew in her heart what he said and it brought a warmth that encapsulated her whole body. Rey looked down with a smile and when she looked back up to say it back to him her alarm clock rang. 

 

The alarm rang loud and clear, Rey groaned and slapped her hand absentmindedly toward the noise before turning it off. 

 

“Oh, that clock, what a killjoy.” She whispered to herself. 

 

Rey slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the bright light coming through her window. She looked around her cottage bedroom for the first time, it was smaller than her bedroom back home, but it was beautiful. The bed was against a wall parallel to a large bay window with the most breathtaking view of the ocean, there was a bathroom and a dresser for her clothing too, but Rey kept staring out the window. She had never seen that much blue before, the sea was a mix of dark blues and light blues with white waves crashing onto the sandy beach. Rey was so excited to get dressed and walk by the sea.

 

After Rey was dressed in her striped blue and white bathing clothes, she put on a black robe to cover her up before beginning to explore the rest of the cottage. When she left her room, she went to the living room, the same room form her dream the night before, she blushed thinking about Ben kissing her forehead. She was lost in her thoughts she walked right into Ben’s back. 

 

“Oh, I’m sorry Ben. I was lost in my thoughts.” She apologized, the blush growing a deeper shade of red. 

 

“It’s no problem Re—” Ben said, turning around. He looked at her with wide eyes, his voice disappearing as he stared at her. 

 

“Is everything alright Ben?” She asked nervously, did she actually hurt him?

 

“I’m alright Rey, um, you are wearing a robe and it started me because normally you are more formally dressed.” He stumbled over his words. His eyes looked everywhere around the room except at her, his hands playing nervously with each other. 

 

“We are on holiday Ben, and I am dressed to go to the beach.” She said with a giggle. “When can we go to the beach?” 

 

“We can go now if you are ready.” Ben said, looking at her. It was the same look he had given her in her dream. 

 

“I am more than ready! Should we invite Poe?” Rey said.

 

“He already went into town, he wants to make us dinner tonight. Let me get changed and then we can go down.” Ben said. 

 

Ben walked down the hall way past Rey’s room to his own. Rey walked over to the couch and looked around the room and noticed how similar it was to the room in her dream. The room walls and ceilings were made up of light brown exposed wood with white accents, there was a light blue couch with two matching chairs that were across from the couch with a white coffee table between them. The walls were decorated with shells and nautical supplies, there was a large fires place with pictures on the mantle. Rey walked over and looked at the pictures, at Ben’s house he didn’t have and family photos hanging on his walls or on his mantle. In a large frame a painting of a young mand and woman were standing across from each other, the man was wearing a black tuxedo and the woman was wearing a white lace dress. The couple was facing each other, enraptured in each other’s eyes that they didn’t notice someone was painting a portrait of them. 

 

“Those are my grandparent’s.” A voice came from behind her. “It was painted on their wedding day. They got married in secret right on the porch overlooking the sea, this was their home when she needed to get away from palace life. It was a huge scandal that they were together, she was a Queen and he was Jedi knight from the gutters of Tatooine.”

 

“How long were they together?” She asked, still focused on the portrait.

 

“Not long, a year after they were married, she became pregnant with my mother and uncle, but she died during childbirth. My grandfather was heartbroken when he learned that she had died and within a few hours he had passed away from a heart attack, my mother said he died from heartbreak.” He whispered. 

 

Rey turned around and looked up at Ben, his eyes were glazed over and shining, as if he was on the verge of tears. Rey wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him in a tight embrace. 

 

“I’m so sorry Ben.” She said into his chest.

 

Ben wrapped his arms around and held her as tightly as she held him, after a few moments he let go. Rey detached herself from his waist and took his hand leading him to the front door. 

 

“Let’s go down to the beach and explore.” Rey said, turning to look at Ben.

 

He was now smiling and following her. They walked out the front porch and around the deck to the stairs that lead to the beach, Rey noticed the part of the porch that looked like the one from the paining. She wondered what it would be like if she and Ben were standing there staring at each other like they had. 

 

The beach was empty when Ben and Rey arrived. They walked out to the edge of the water and looked out across the sea, the waves coming up and washing over their feet before retreating with the pull of the tide. The water was cool and refreshing, the smell of the salt water relaxed Rey with every deep breath she took. Ben and Rey were standing a few inches away from each other, their fingertips gently brushing against each other, it was so tempting for her just to reach out and take his hand in her. 

 

Ben suddenly stepped back, and Rey turned to see why. He went farther back on the sand and began to take his shirt off. 

 

“Do you want to go for a swim?” Ben said, his hands unbuttoning the buttons of his shirt.

 

“Yes, but I’ve never swam before.” Rey said sheepishly. He hands were resting on the tie of her robe. 

 

“That’s alright, we can stay in the shallow water and I can show you how to swim.” He said, the last button coming undone.

 

Rey was about to thank him for wanting to teach her how to swim but she found herself speechless at the sight of him. Rey could tell that Ben was muscular, but she was not expecting him to be as muscular as he was, he had taunt muscles on his abdomen that looked like they were chiseled from marble. His arms and shoulders were broad and defined with the curves of strong muscles. He wore black swimming trunks that went down to his knees, he turned and walked down to the sea shore. 

 

Rey took a deep breath and took off her robe. She and Ms. Phasma had chosen a navy blue and white one-piece bathing suit, it had a skirt on it because Ms. Phasma said that lady’s wore conservative swim suits. Rey followed Ben to the water, he was standing waist deep in the water when he called out to her before turning around.

 

“The water feels great!” He called, when he turned around his faced flushed pink and the tips of his ears were bright red. “Don’t be afraid to come in.” 

 

Rey took a few steps into the water, adjusting herself to the cool temperature. She slowly walked out to Ben, waist deep water to him was up to her mid chest. As she got closer Ben held out his arms for her to hold onto, she grabbed onto them and held on tight.

 

“Don’t be afraid, I got you.” He said, pulling her closer to him. 

 

In the water Ben showed Rey how to float on her back and began to show her how to swim on her own. As the sun started to set Rey was able to swim on her own with a little help from Ben, they had been in the water for most of the day. Their fingers were pruned, and Rey could feel the waves crashing against her body even when she got out of the water for the day. Rey and Ben dressed before walking back to the cottage. They walked close to each other and talked about the water and the things they wanted to accomplish during their holiday, Ben wanted to finish reading a novel that he had started a few months before and Rey wanted to learn how to knit. When they arrived back at the cottage, they walked around the porch, stopping in the spot of his grandparents wedding photo and looked out over the sea. Rey could hear Poe banging pots and pans around inside, she was a little nervous to try his cooking. Or maybe she was nervous for another reason, Ben was standing next to her in the spot where his grandfather had stood all those years ago, and Rey was standing where his grandmother had stood. Their roles were reversed this time, Ben was rich and higher up and Rey was from nothing. Maybe they could make it, if they tried. 

 

The rest of the night was a blur to Rey, dinner was surprisingly delicious, and Poe was more than happy to receive his peers praise. Rey retire to her room soon after dinner, bidding her companions a last farewell before slipping into her room. She drew herself a bath and cleaned off the dried saltwater and sand off her body before putting on her cotton nightgown. She crawled into bed and fell asleep to the soothing sound of the waves crashing onto the shore and the feeling of the waves rocking her to sleep. The last thought before she fell asleep was a wish that her dreams would be the same as the night before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BONUS CHAPTER   
> Happy news or happy accidents? What are we to think when Rey hears what Ben has to say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BONUS CHAPTER   
> Happy Friday the 13th! Posting the 13th chapter today because I'm a spooky girl! I also am excited because I had an internship interview that went really well yesterday, I hope I get it! Love you guys!!

Chapter 13

 

Rey

 

Rey and Ben were standing by the sea together, their bare feet being lapped over by the clear blue water. They had walked down from the cottage together hand in hand, Ben stopped them when they had gotten close to the water. They had been spending more time together during their vacation, they had gotten closer than they ever had back in the city. Rey was falling head over heels in love with Ben, it had started slowly and began building more and more each day. Ben would talk to her as an equal, no longer as a teacher talking down to a student. She could tell that Ben’s feelings were the same as hers, maybe more intense. 

 

Rey leaned into Ben’s side, resting her full weight onto his side, his arm wrapped around her. She looked up at him and smiled, his face was relaxed, and she could see a hint of a smile on his marble like face. She loved seeing him like this, the stress of the city made him look years older and angrier, the sea air helped him become the person she knew was deep down inside. Rey loved being wrapped in Ben’s arms, he made her feel safe and loved, something she had never felt that way before, but she knew that she wanted this to last forever. 

 

Ben looked down at Rey and slowly let go of her, dropping his arm down to his side. Ben cleared his throat and ran his hand through his hair, he looked nervous. Rey turned to face Ben and looked at him, the sunset illuminating his statuesque features.

 

“Ben are you- “ 

 

“Rey, I want- “

 

They began speaking at the same time, they paused and began laughing at the same time.

 

“Go ahead Ben.” Rey said with a smile.

 

“Uh, Rey I wanted to talk to you about something very important. I’ve really enjoyed teaching you the last few months, but I can’t teach you anymore.”

 

“Why Ben? What did I do?” Rey questions, she was so confused.

 

“No, nothing you did Rey but it’s something else. My feelings have changed for you and I don’t feel comfortable teaching someone that I am in love with.”

 

“You love me?” Rey asked, tears welling up in her eyes. 

 

“I do Rey, I love you. And I know that we haven’t known each other long but I wanted to know if you would do me the honor of being my wife?” Ben said while kneeling in the sand. He pulled a ring out of his pocket and held it up to Rey. 

 

Rey couldn’t believe her eyes, it was a beautiful rose gold band with little diamonds going around the band and in the center was a large diamond that glimmered in the golden sunset light. A few tears ran down her cheeks as she nodded feverishly as a response to Ben’s question. 

 

“YES, yes Ben I love you and I will marry you!” Rey exclaimed when she was able to find her voice. Ben slipped the ring onto to her left hand third finger with a shaky hand, when the ring was secure Rey threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. 

 

Rey had never been kissed before but when her and Ben’s lips finally tenderly touched, she wanted to kiss him forever more. His lips were soft and inviting, he deepened the kiss and placed his hands on her back. Before anything else could transpired a large wave washed over the newly engaged couple and soaked them to the bone. The waves retreated, leaving Ben and Rey to quickly collect themselves before running up to the cottage to tell Poe their happy news. 

 

After telling Poe the news, which he congratulated them immensely on, Ben and Rey decided that they wanted to get married as fast as possible. They didn’t want to spend another moment alone without the other, they decided they would get married the next day where his grandparents were wed. Ben went into the attic and emerged a few minutes later carrying two large white boxes. 

 

“These were my grandparents wedding clothes. Since we are getting married here, I thought it would be appropriate if we were wearing their clothes, a way of honoring the past.” He said while handing Rey one of the boxes.

 

“Ben, that is so beautiful. I would be honored to wear your grandmothers wedding dress.” Rey said, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes.

 

Ben leaned down and kissed Rey softly on the lips.

 

That night Rey barely slept, she was too excited to marry the love of her life in the morning. They had decided to get marry early, just as the sun was coming up, they would be beginning the day and the rest of their lives as man and wife. 

 

Rey woke up at 6 am and began getting dressed, she decided to leave her face bare and to leave her hair down in waves. She slowly took the white lace dress out of the box and held it up, it was intricately designed with lace flowers. It had long sleeves with swirl patterns going up and joining the rest of the lace on the bodice. The long train had small details of different flowers and leaves melding together as if it was a wild flower garden growing on it. The veil was made out the same lace material with white pearls sewn into the front before flowing throughout the rest of the veil. Rey dressed and then looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, she audibly gasped at her reflection. She looked almost ethereal and other worldly, a drastic change from the dirty flower girl she was a few months ago. 

 

Rey left her room and walked out to the porch, she took a few deep breaths before stepping out into the blinding sunrise. After her eyes adjusted to change in light, her breath hitched when she saw Ben in his black tuxedo and white button-down shirt. She walked over and stood across from him, Poe was standing to the side watching and officiating the intimate ceremony. 

 

“You look beautiful.” Ben whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek. 

 

“So, do you.” Rey said with a smiled. She extended her hands and Ben took them in his. 

 

“Ben and Rey, we are gathered here in the same place where Ben’s grandparents, Padme and Anakin, were married many years ago. They proclaimed their love to each other in a similar ceremony that you two are doing this morning. At this time, you two can proclaim your love for each other in the vows that you’ve created.” Poe said.

 

“Rey, from the moment our paths crossed you’ve surprised me, distracted me, captivated me and challenged me in a way no one has before. I fell in love with you slowly and then this time away from the city confirmed my feeling for you. I would be honored too love you for the rest of our live.” Ben said, staring deeply into Rey’s eyes.

 

“Ben, I promise to be true to you. To uplift and support you, to frustrate and challenge you. If you had told me that this is where would have ended up after our first meeting I would have laughed in your face and called, you crazy. Thank you for teaching me more than just speaking correctly, thank you for teaching me love and hope. I want to learn more with you every day that we are together.” Rey said, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ben released one of her hands and carefully wiped the tears away.

 

“Ben and Rey, with the expression of your love committed to each other verbally, I will ask you each the next question. Rey, do you take Ben to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Poe asked her.

 

“I do.” Rey said with a smile, looking into the eyes of the man who was about to be hers forever more.

 

“Ben, do you take Rey to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

 

“I do.” Ben said, his eyes never leaving hers.

 

“Then by the proclamation of your love and the promise of commitment, I am proud to announce you as Mr. and Mrs. Ben Solo. You may kiss the love of your life.”

 

Ben leaned down and----

 

“BRING, BRING, BRING, BRING!!!!!!” The metallic commotion of Rey’s alarm clock rang loudly awakening the dreaming Rey.

 

Rey woke up and quickly sat up in the bed and looked around the room. 

 

“Was that all a dream?” She asked herself out loud.

 

She looked down at her left hand, it was empty. Her heart sank in the realization that it was all a dream, it had felt so real and clear, her mind and heart had played a cruel trick on her. A tear fell down her cheek and onto her empty left hand. 

 

“It was such a beautiful dream, what a shame it won’t come true.” Rey said quietly. “Why would Ben ever fall in love with me?” 

 

Rey laid back into her bed and closed her eyes, hot tears came out of her eyes at a faster pace than before, soon began sobbing. The sound of her sobs and the roar of the waves violently crashing to shore lulled her back into a black void-like dream state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY GUYS!!! I legit cried writing the last thoughts of Rey! I promise everything will work out in the end!!  
> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have heard Rey's thoughts about the Naboo Holiday, how does feel about the seaside Holiday?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for last Fridays heartbreaking chapter! Hopefully this will make up for some of that pain.   
> P.S. I'm still waiting to hear back from my interview! I will let you guys know if I get it or not!!

Chapter 14

 

Ben 

 

The holiday by the sea was a splendid idea, it gave all of them time to relax before they went into one of the most difficult tasks to prepare for. The Winter Ball was now four months away and there was so much for the three of them to prepare for, buying fancy outfits, conversation preparation, dance lessons and more. Ben leaned back in his desk chair and thought about the overwhelming responsibilities that were waiting for them when they returned to the city. 

 

It was the second day of their seaside holiday and Ben was sitting in his small study writing a list of things to do when they returned home. He would have Ms. Phasma take Rey dress shopping for the ball, he and Poe would help Rey with conversation topics, the one thing he was nervous about was the dancing. He had taken classes as a child, but he had never taught someone how to dance before, maybe Poe could teach her how to dance and he could just watch or leave them to practice by themselves. Ben hadn’t danced in years, he made a point of avoiding the dance floor at all costs. When he was a child, he was too tall and awkward he was always stumbling over his feet and stepping on his partners toes, as soon as he was old enough to make decisions regarding his personal life he refused to go to balls. This will be the first time in many years that he had broken that promise to himself, and he would do it happily to help Rey. 

 

Rey, she was always on his mind. If he wasn’t thinking about how he can teach her or help her, he would be thinking about her being around. He had noticed that Rey was avoiding him this morning, which was peculiar because she would always wish him a cheerful good morning. A few months ago, he wouldn’t have noticed or wanted someone to wish him a good morning, but now he had become accustomed to her voice and cheerfulness. He was concerned about her, maybe she wasn’t feeling well, he would have to ask her when he saw her. 

 

Ben stood up from his desk and started to walk out of the room to begin his quest to find Rey, the phone rang loud and clear from the hallway. Ben stood there debating whether he should find Rey or answer the phone, he decided to be responsible and not follow his heart.

 

“Hello, Professor Ben Solo speaking.” He mechanically stated.

 

“BEN SOLO WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” His mother screamed into his ear. 

 

Ben pulled the phone away from his ear, letting the ringing in his ear calm down before preparing for another verbal assault.

 

“Mother, how nice to hear from you.” He said sarcastically, leaning against the hallway wall.

 

“DON’T YOU SASS ME BEN I HAVE BEEN CALLING YOUR HOME FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS WITHOUT AN ANSWER OR EXPLANATION OF WHAT HAPPENED AT CANTO BIGHT!!” 

 

“Mother, I told you that we would be away on holiday after the races. You have known since we planned the experiment at the races. And why do we need to discuss what happened at Canto Bight?” He told his mother.

 

“No need to discuss? Ben please be serious, we need to talk about what your next plans are.” She said, finally talking at a normal volume. 

 

“Poe and I have a plan of action of what Rey need to do before the Winter’s Ball. We will be home tomorrow afternoon if you insist on meeting in person.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. He would promise his mother anything if only she got off the phone and he could go see Rey. 

 

“Thank you, Ben, please come over tomorrow night for dinner. We need to discuss the Ball but something else too.” Her tone quivered at the end.

 

“If this is about Han, I have no reason to speak to that man.” Ben’s voice grew a little louder and sharper in tone.

 

“Yes, Ben it’s about your father. We will talk about it when you come over for dinner.” She said before hanging up.

 

Ben sighed and hung up the phone with a slam, he ran his hand through his hair. He turned around to walk down the hallway when Rey walked right into his chest, her face was buried in her book before she looked up at him. Ben and Rey’s faces turned a light shade of pink of embarrassment, they both started stammering over broken apologizes before pausing and then giggled. This was the second time this had happened during their seaside holiday, Ben took a step back and looked at Rey. She was wearing a simple light blue dress with her hair pulled back with a blue bow in the back, she looked so beautiful.

 

“Good Afternoon, Rey.” He said after realizing he had been staring at her in silence. 

 

“Afternoon Ben.” She said quietly, adverting her eyes from looking into his.

 

“Are you feeling alright Rey? You have been distant and quiet all morning, did I say something or do something to offend you yesterday?” He asked, a worried tone took over his normally monotone voice. 

 

“No, Ben. Nothing is wrong and you didn’t do anything wrong. I had a dream that turned into a nightmare last night and it really shook me to the core.” She said with a shudder, still avoiding looking in his eyes.

 

“Do you remember your dream?” 

 

Rey looked up quickly with her eyes wide with the look of fear and surprise, he thought to himself that it must have been a terrifying dream for her to react like this. 

 

“Not really, but I just remember the feeling of comfort and then abandonment.” She whispered, still looking up at him.

 

Ben put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it as an act of reassurance and comfort. Rey relaxed into his grip and took deep breath.

 

“Thanks Ben, I feel more relaxed around you.” She said with a smile. 

 

Ben smiled back at her and he could feel butterflies fluttering in the pit of his stomach, whenever she looks at him like that, he gets nervous and excited. He let go of her shoulder and let his hand fall to his side. 

 

“Uh, what are you reading?” He asked looking down at the black nondescript cover of her book.

 

“It’s the Princess Bride. I’m reading it again.” She said with a small smile. “It’s my favorite story, I love the fencing, miracles, princesses and true love. It all just feels so magical and beautiful.” 

 

“I’m glad you like it. My mother read this to me whenever I was sick, I loved all of the humor and action within a fantasy land.” He said, looking at her. 

 

He wished he could live out a fantasy like that with her, they could run away and live here together. Forget about all their troubles and lives in the city and just be content with being together by the seaside. They could be a better version of his grandparents, he thought, a vision came to him of Rey wearing his grandmother’s wedding dress and he could feel his ears and face turn bright red. 

 

“Ben are you feeling alright?” Rey asked, reaching up and feeling his cheeks with the back of her hand. “Your burning up. You should go rest before dinner tonight.” 

 

“uh yeah, I think I will Rey.” He turned around and walked to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. 

 

Ben let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. 

 

“I really need to stop thinking about Rey like this, she could never love someone like me.” He whispered before laying down in bed and drifted off to sleep.

 

~~~~~

 

Ben woke up from a dreamless sleep late that night, it was close to 11 pm, he had slept through dinner and he was now hungry. He left his bedroom and walked toward the kitchen, hoping that Rey and Poe had saved him something from dinner, he walked into the living room and noticed that a light was on by the couch. Ben was confused and walked over to turn it off, he looked down and saw Rey fast asleep on the couch clutching her book and her eyelids fluttering with each soft breath she took. Ben couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful woman on his couch, he was so happy she had convinced him to teach her. 

 

He couldn’t leave her on the couch to sleep uncomfortably, but he didn’t want to wake her up and make her walk to her room. He took a few seconds to think about what he should do before he came up with an idea which sent his heart in a frantic pace. He leaned down next to Rey and whispered in her ear.

 

“Rey, you need to go to bed.” 

 

“Five more minutes.” She whispered and turned onto her side, dropping the book to the floor. 

 

“Rey, I can carry you to your room. Are you alright with that?” 

 

Rey lazily nodded, her eyes remained closed. Ben took a deep breath and stood up, he reached a hand under her back and the other under her knees. As he began to lift her up, Rey instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Rey was muttering incoherent sentences under her breath as Ben walked her down the hallway to her room, he opened the door and placed her on the bed. He took a throw blanket off the end of the bed and gently placed it over Rey’s sleeping body. As he began to walk out of the room, he heard Rey say his name. 

 

“Ben, I …” She whispered.

 

Ben walked over to Rey and kneeled next to her bed.

 

“What is it Rey?” He whispered back, maybe she wanted a glass of water.

 

“Ben, I love you.” She whispered.

 

Rey may have whispered those four simple words, but they screamed loudly in his ears. Ben was speechless, was she dreaming? Was this a real admission of her feelings? Why would she be saying this to him? 

 

“I love you Rey.” Ben said before he could overthink this anymore than he already had. 

 

Rey smiled in her sleep and rolled away from Ben, leaving him standing in her room in a new state of mind and heart. He walked out of the room and gently shut the door, he walked to his room and shut the door, his hunger was suddenly gone. Ben laid down in his bed and thought over how easily he had said those three simple words back to her, he had never said those words to someone who wasn’t family before. His feeling for Rey had grown immensely over the last few months and it wasn’t until this moment that he realized. . .

 

“I am truly and deeply in love with Rey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is all a flutter after Rey's dream admission the night before. How will he handle a dinner with his mother and a special guest?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Morning Everyone! No word yet from my Internship interview yet but I still have hope! I am really excited for how this story is going, I am a few chapters ahead in writing and plan on posting how many chapters will be in the story soon! Thank you for all the reads, kudos, and comments it warms my heart seeing them!

Chapter 15 

 

Ben

 

Ben had hardly slept that night, he kept hearing Rey’s voice saying, ‘I love you’ and each time he closed his eyes he saw her sleeping face whisper those words to him. He was a mess while he packed to go back home, this was a great trip but now he was filled with dread to go back to the real world. Naboo was a cocoon where his love of Rey had grown, but now the cocoon was broken, and he didn’t know if they could capture that again in the city. When he was done packing, he brought his bags down to the car, Poe and Rey were already in the car discussing what they need to do when they return home. 

 

“There’s sleeping beauty. Are you ready to go home, Ben?” Poe cheerfully asked.

 

Ben nodded at him, refusing to look at Rey. Did she remember what she had said the night before? He finally gave in after a few moments and looked down at her, she was staring at the map her fingers were tracing the line we were going to be taking home. Ben walked over to Rey and stood next to her.

 

“How did you sleep last night?” He asked nervously.

 

“I slept like a rock, I don’t remember going from sleeping on the couch to sleeping in my bed, but I must have sleep walked to my room.” She said with a giggle.

 

Ben was relieved that she didn’t remember saying ‘I love you’ to him and his response back, but he was crestfallen that she didn’t remember him carrying her to her room. He would never forget the way she wrapped her arms around his neck, how light she was in his arms, the smell of the vanilla in her hair or the way she perfectly fit in his arms. 

 

“That’s good.” He said flatly. “Would you mind sitting with Poe in the front? I would like to try and rest my eyes in the backseat for a while.”

 

“Sure, Ben.” She said before looking back down to the map. 

 

Ben placed his bags in the trunk before sitting in the backseat and closing his eyes, after a few moments he was dead asleep to the world.

 

~~~

 

Ben was woken abruptly by the car stopping after an acceleration. He looked at the driver’s seat to yell at Poe for being so careless while driving but was stunned to see Rey sitting behind the wheel. 

 

“Rey? What are you doing in the driver’s seat?” He asked, his voice groggy from sleep.

 

“Oh Ben, your awake! Poe let me drive!” She said excitedly, turning around to look at him.

 

Poe quickly placed the car in park and took the keys out of the ignition.

 

“Why?” Ben asked, still confused.

 

“Well, she had never driven before and since we were already on Millennium Falcon Street and it was empty, I thought she could try it for fun.” Poe defended his decision; his tone was joking but his underlying tone was serious. “I wanted her to feel independent and empowered.”

 

Ben stretched his back and thought over what Poe had just said, it was true Rey should feel empowered and independent considering that she would be on her own in a few months. Ben nodded and looked down at his watch, it was 4:25 pm, he needed to be at his mother’s for dinner in an hour and a half.

 

“I need to get ready for dinner at my mother’s, I’m going to go in and get a shower before I visit her.” Before either Poe or Rey could respond Ben was already out of the car and grabbing his bags from the trunk. He walked into his house and went upstairs to his room to prepare for his mothers.

 

~~~

 

Leia

 

Leia was sitting at in her dining room at the head of the table, she was sipping her second glass of red wine and was waiting for her son to come over for dinner and his father to come over for dessert. It had been a few years since the two Solo men had been in the same room, she knew she is playing with fire when she had set up this night, but it needed to be done. She looked down at her left hand, her ring finger had a beautiful silver band with a pearl in the center. Han had finally given her a proper proposal and an engagement ring, and he was ready to leave the sea life behind for a life on land and to settle down with her, of course they were in their late 50’s and didn’t have to raise a child or many other responsibilities. But she was in love with Han and he was the only man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. All the years that they had been on and off, she had never found anyone else who thrilled her, annoyed her and loved her the way that he did. 

 

Leia and Han had met when they were young, and she pardoned him for stealing from the National Museum she had saved his ass to many times to count since that time. He was a lovable rouge who had no problem jetting off on his ship with his first mate Lando Calrissian, they explored different counties and stole what they needed to survive. When Ben was born, she wanted him to stay home to help raise his son, but he grew restless and began to resent them for holding him back from is scavenger and pirate ways. They got into more arguments as Ben got older that Leia told Han to just go back to the ocean if he missed it so much, and he did. Leia missed him all the time, but she wouldn’t let anyone know that the scoundrel pirate had such a hold over her heart. This time was going to be different though, they had grown older and realized that nobody was going to love them like they had loved each other. Leia wanted to tell Ben that her and Han were planning on a vow renewal just the two of them so that they could be official in their eyes. She knew that her son wouldn’t understand why she loved his father so much and she didn’t know how to describe it herself, but she knew that Han was the love of her life. 

 

The doorbell rang abruptly, waking Leia from her musings, the show was about to begin. Ms. Artoo entered the dining room followed by Ben towering over her housekeeper, he walked over and kissed Leia on the cheek.

 

“Good evening, Mother.” He sat next to her and looked at her with a curious expression. “Why have you invited me to dinner?”

 

Leia sighed and took a sip of her wine, Ms. Artoo brought out a filet minion’s and placed the dishes in front of the pair. 

 

“I want you to stop this experiment.” She said plainly before taking a bite of her meat.

 

“Why?” Ben asked, refusing to take a bit of his dinner.

 

“Why? Ben, she yelled arse at Canto Bight! Everyone was shocked and stunned by her behavior, except for Finn Storm, he really was taken with her.” Ben flinched when she mentioned Finn, she made a mental note of that before continuing. “I am concerned that she will make an absolute fool of herself at the Ball. Trust me, I really like her as a person and have a great respect her for her coming this far, but I think it’s time you and Poe should stop this.” 

 

“Sure, her language could use a little refining, but this is the most fascinating adventure I’ve ever encountered. Poe and I are at this from morning to night, it’s our whole lives. Teaching Rey, talking to Rey, listening to Rey, dressing Rey...” Ben said casually.

 

“WHAT?” Leia almost choked on the piece of steak she had taken a bite of. “You’re a pretty bunch of babies playing with your live doll. She’s a person with feelings and emotions, think of how much this would hurt her if it fails? Do you even care what happens to her if this experiment blows up in your face?”

 

Before Ben could respond the doorbell rang. 

 

“Ah, here’s the other guest.” Leia said before standing up to get the door. Her stomach was in knots and her hands were shaking with anticipation. She nodded to Ms. Artoo who began to clear away Leia’s empty plate and Ben’s untouched dinner, before setting three plates of tart for dessert.

 

“Mother who’s the third guest?” Ben asked sternly, his knuckles growing white from the tight grip on his fork.

 

“Your father.” She turned and walked to the door.

 

She opened the door to reveal the silver haired man she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

 

“‘ello love.” The rouge pirate said before entering a war zone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pirate has returned home to his beautiful wife and adult son, this evening should go off without an issue...right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT LIFE UPDATE!!!!!   
> I GOT THE INTERNSHIP! You reading the fanfiction of an OFFICIAL Disney College Program Cast Member!!   
> I am so excited! I start in January and I will make sure my story is finished before I start my new job!   
> If you have any tips, hints or suggestions please leave them in the comments! This is my first time living away from home!  
> Hope you enjoy the chapter!!

Chapter 16

 

Han Solo

 

Earlier That Day

 

“Han I can’t believe that you are retiring. This ship is all mine now!” Lando said, staring up at the massive Millennium Falcon Ship, the fastest ship on the seven seas. 

 

It was a good ship, the best a captain could ask for, it had completed the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs and gotten them away from every Navy that had competent ships and crews. He was sad to be leaving her, but it was time, he was tired of not seeing Leia and Ben, he knew he had messed up in the past but that was going to change. 

 

“I know Lando, she’s finally yours. All your years of bitching and complaining it’s finally yours.” Han sighed and looked at his first mate, now Captain. “Take care of my baby, she deserves the best.” 

 

“Of course, Han.” Lando said with a laugh.

 

The former captain and a new captain walked away from the ship and to the closest pub near the ship yard. They entered the Cantina and sat down at the bar and ordered two beers, the busty waitress brought their drinks to them, Han thanked her and paid her and left a tip. Lando thanked her and winked at her before paying her, she walked away with a look of disgust on her face. Han chuckled at his first mates pathetic attempt to flirt with the waitress, he would miss drinking with Lando, but he was more excited to be with Leia. 

 

“Han, why would you want to give up on this life? You can do anything you want without a care in the world or someone nagging you. You see the gentle sex was made for man to marry, to share his nest and see his food is cooked. But with a little bit of luck you can have it all and not get hooked. You really don’t need to remarry her Han.” Lando said, taking a sip of his beer. 

 

Han gave his friend a quizzical look before downing his beer. 

 

“I love her, and I don’t want either of us to be lonely anymore.” He stood up and nodded to the waitress before walking out the door, out of the corner of his eye he saw Lando down his drink and run after him. 

 

“Ok maybe so, but she won’t let you go out drinking anymore. She’ll use liquor as temptation, to see if you could turn away from sin. But with a little bit of luck when temptation comes, you’ll fit right in.” Lando walked next to him down the street, he stifled a belch as he spoke. 

 

“Lando, Leia drinks more than me. She would be partaking in the temptation of liquor along with me.” Han said with a laugh. 

 

Internally Han wished that Lando would go back to the ship and let him get to Leia’s faster, he wanted to make sure he was there on time. He and Lando worked well together but they never were truly friends. They would always talk about scams they wanted to pull, the sea and boats and drinks. They never talked about anything personal and now he could see why, Lando was annoying. 

 

“You’ve got a son too, right? You want to go back to land to scam your son? He’s some kind of professor, you probably want him to financially support you when you get older?” Lando wrapped an arm around the back of Han’s neck. 

 

Han shrugged him off and rolled his eyes, Lando was never going to let this conversation end. Han stopped walking and turned to look Lando in the eyes. 

 

“Mate, how long have we been working together?” Han asked.

 

“Um, I don’t know.” Lando looked at Han with confusion. 

 

“A good 20 years, right? And in that time have I ever complained about needing money to send to Leia and Ben?”

 

Lando shook his head from side to side.

 

“No, because my wife took care of him by herself. I was a shit husband and father, I am coming back here to beg them for forgiveness and to start a new life with them. I would give up a hundred ships, barrels of liquor and all the women in the world just for them to start fresh with me.” Han said, out of breath from his rant.

 

“I’m just not ready to lose my friend, Han.” Lando looked down and shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Lando, you’re not losing a friend. I’ll be around and you can bet your ass that I will check up on my ship to make sure you are treating her right.” He said with a laugh.

 

Lando stuck out his hand and Han took it, they shook hands and stood there for a moment.

 

“I will miss you, old friend.” Han said before releasing his grasp and turned down the street.

 

It had been a few years since he had been to Leia’s home, but his feet knew the way back, the last time he was here he walked out of Leia’s and Ben’s lives. Over the years his and Leia’s relationship had mended and grown but his relationship with Ben had grown even more distant. Han tried to get closer to his son in the past year, but Ben kept shutting him out and refusing to speak or see him. 

 

Han walked up to Leia’s door and knocked, his hands were shaking, and his stomach was in knots. A few seconds passed and he could hear her voice on the other side of the door, he was about to knock again when the door opened, and Leia was on the other side. She was as beautiful as the day they had met.

 

“’ello love.” He said, smiling to his beautiful wife.

 

She smiled back and he was transported back to when she had pardoned him for stealing from the National Museum. She was currently wearing a dark green dress with purple accents; her salt and pepper hair was braided on top of her head like a halo. He was so busy staring at Leia he almost didn’t notice the large man walking up to stand behind her. Han let out an audible gasp when he looked the man in the face, it was his son Ben, the little boy he had left all those years ago was an adult now. Hans heart sank thinking about all the time he had missed with his son and how the man in front of him was a total stranger. 

 

“Mother, why is he here?” Ben asked, his deep voice startled Han. 

 

“Ben, he’s your father and he’s here because the three of us need to talk.” Leia stepped aside and let Han come into the house.

 

Ben still loomed behind his mother as if he was ready to attack if she said the right word. Leia led them to the dining room, the table was set with three tarts. Leia sat at the head of the table, Ben sat to her right, leaving the seat on her left open for Han. After a few moments of heavy awkward silence Ben cleared his throat began to speak.

 

“What is so important I had to leave my experiment for?” He said, his arms crossed in front of his chest making him look like a child who was put in a time out. 

 

Han nervously looked over at Leia, she stretched out her left hand and took his in her, her pearl ring prominently on display. 

 

“Ben, your father and I are going to have our vows renewed and he will be moving in with me.” She said, her voice was slow and evenly measured.

 

“What?” Ben exclaimed, his arms coming undone.

 

“I said, your father and I …” She started to speak.

 

“No, no. I heard what you said but why? Why after all these years are you settling for this, this pirate?” Ben said, dramatically moving his hands, gesturing between Han and Leia.

 

“Ben don’t say that about your father, he was a seafaring merchant.” Leia’s voice had changed to a more serious and angry tone.

 

“Leia, it’s fine. I am a pirate. And Ben, I understand why you are concerned for your mother but we both love each other very much and I am ready to be on land with your mother for the rest of our lives.” Han said, trying to break up what could be a nasty argument.

 

“I can understand that Han, but why now? Why not when I was a child? Why did you abandon us? Why did you abandon me?” Ben’s voice broke on the last sentence, his eyes welling up with tears. 

 

Ben looked just like the little kid that Han had abandoned all those years ago. 

 

“I’m sorry Ben, I’m sorry I left you and your mother. There’s no excuse for my behavior. I was young and not ready to be tied down and that came at the expense of you and your mother. I know that you will probably never forgive me for what I did but I want to build a relationship with you.” Han said, his voice wavering through his speech, Leia was squeezing his hand as an act of support and compassion. 

 

“I don’t… I can’t think about this right now.” Ben stammered, getting up from his chair and began pacing the room, his hands running through his long black hair. 

 

“Ben, we don’t have to talk about anything now. I just want an open door to see if we can become friends or acquaintances down the road.” Han said, looking at his son. 

 

The way Ben was pacing and running his hands through his hair reminded Han of how Leia used to do the same thing when she was stressed or anxious. 

 

Ben paused and looked down at his parents, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, when he opened them, he released the breath he took.

 

“I will think about it. But right now, I need to get back hoe to work on my experiment. Good night mother, goodnight Han.” Ben said and then walked out of the room. 

 

They knew he had left the house when they heard the front door slam shut. Han let out a deep breath he didn’t realize he was holding, he looked over at his wife and sighed. He lifted her hand and kissed the top of it. 

 

“ ‘ello love.” He said again.

 

“Hello my love.” She said as she blushed and let a nervous giggle escape her lips.

 

“That went well.” He said with a laugh.

 

“Don’t worry about him, he will come around soon enough. Right now, he’s stressed and under pressure with this idiotic experiment he set up with a young woman.” She scowled. 

 

“An experiment with a young woman? He’s definitely my son.” He said with a hearty laugh, “What’s the experiment?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmarreads and @marmar1917  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is growing tired of her new lessons and only one thing pulls her out of her boring routine. Ms. Phasma has an issue with it and brings it up to someone she cares about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have started buying stuff for my dorm room at Disney! I am so excited and nervous to move but I am so happy!   
> We are close to the BALL and then the end! I am so excited for you all to read it!

Chapter 17

 

Rey

 

The weeks after Naboo were filled with conversation training, manners training, dress fittings and more. Rey had learned so much about what utensils to use, she now knew that you had to use seafood soup versus vegetable soup. Her head was swimming with facts that she had never known before and how they were completely useless outside of high society. Poe had been leading the lessons recently with Ben only piping up with a fact or two every so often. Rey had begun to miss his nagging and rough teaching style. With the steadily growing distance between her and Ben it had affected her feelings toward him slightly, she still loved him but now she saw that it was a silly fantasy in her head. She had resigned herself to believe the only place she and Ben could have the kind of the relationship she dreamed of was in her dreams. 

 

One of the brightest parts of her monotonous week was when she received a letter and bouquet from Finn Storm. She was never able to write him back after the trip to Naboo because he didn’t leave a return address and her lesson size had grown extensively larger. But that had never deterred Finn though, as if by clock work every Monday, he would hand Ms. Phasma the bouquet and letter. Each time she would ask if he would like to come in and every time he said no and that he was too nervous to come in. Rey would devour his letters each of them describing his growing feelings for her. Rey loved reading his letters, secretly she wished that Ben had written them to her instead of Finn, but she was more than happy to receive them. She couldn’t tell if she had romantic feelings for Finn in the same way he had feelings for her.

 

“Rey? Rey? Pay attention!” Poe snapped at her, waking her from her daydream.

 

Rey looked up, remembering that she was supposed to be memorizing the names of the Takonda Royalty who was going to be attending the Ball. The day dream haze was more prevalent now during her lessons, she was constantly bored during her new lessons.

 

“Where did we leave off?” She asked, looking at the black board which was covered with past Takonda Royalty. 

 

“The Takonda Royal Family history.” Poe sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

 

“Sorry Poe, I’m just bored.” She said with a yawn.

 

“I know, Rey, but this is important. Now who is the King, Queen and Prince who are attending the ball?” He asked

 

“King Chewbacca, Queen Maz and Prince Barnaby Baxter who goes by B.B.” She said, letting her eyes close.

 

“Perfect. I think that should be enough for today. Tonight, at dinner we will go over proper conversation topics and utensils.” Poe said, walking out of the library.

 

Rey groaned and laid down on the sofa, she was exhausted from trying to remember the Takonda Royal lineage. It didn’t matter that she knew who the kings third cousin was named Jabba, she was only meeting the King, Queen and Prince at the ball. Rey took a deep breath and opened her eyes, staring up at the light fixture in Ben’s office, she signed up for this and she was not going to make a fool of herself again. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head, when she was done, she stood up and gathered her Takonda Family tree and Etiquette books and walked out to the hallway. Rey paused for a moment, thinking about going up to her room to review her notes, an incredibly boring task, or going to see Ms. Phasma in the kitchen and maybe getting a cookie, a splendid idea. Rey put down her book and paperwork on the side of the stairs before turning on her heel towards the kitchen. 

 

Rey opened the door to the kitchen, the room was full of the sweet scent of blueberry scones, her mouth watered as she took a step inside. Ms. Phasma was pulling the tray out of the oven and setting it carefully on the table, when she looked up and saw Rey.

 

“Good afternoon Rey, how has your lessons been going today?” She asked, taking off her oven mitts and placing them beside the tray.

 

“Incredibly boring.” Rey huffed and took a seat at the kitchen table, she reached for one of the hot scones and Ms. Phasma batted her hand away.

 

“They just came out of the oven, you don’t want to burn your fingers. And I’m sorry your lessons are boring, but you need to know the history just in case it comes up.” Ms. Phasma suggested.

 

Rey groaned and leaned back in her chair, that was the response she hated the most “Just in case”, it was an excuse just to make her learn everything and anything that “might” come up at the ball. Honestly, she just wanted to get the ball over with now, all the preparation was making her dread it and made her nervous thinking about it. 

 

“I know, I need to know it but it’s tedious to remember who the King’s second cousin is or who the first King of Takonda was engaged to before marrying his wife.” Rey said, reaching again to take a scone. This time Ms. Phasma let her take one. 

 

“I understand, Rey. Would you like something to take your mind off your lessons?” Ms. Phasma asked with a smile.

 

“Yes, please.” Rey said in between bites of the sweet scone. 

 

Ms. Phasma reached into the pocket on her apron and pulled out a crisp white envelope, it was a new letter from Finn! Rey hungrily grabbed at it, she opened it and let out a little squeal of excitement. 

 

“Thank you, Ms. Phasma!” Rey said, jumping up from her seat and ran out of the kitchen. 

 

In the hallway Rey bumped into Ben, she looked up at her Professor. Each time she saw him she got butterflies in her stomach, but she willed the butterflies to go away because someone else actually cared for her. And, unfortunately, it wasn’t her Adonis-like Professor. 

 

“Sorry Ben.” She muttered before running upstairs to devour her letter. 

 

Ben

 

Rey had bumped into him and ran off so quickly that he didn’t get a chance to say hello to her. It was true that he had been avoiding her for the past few days, taking what his mother said to heart. Was this experiment just an excuse to have Rey in his life? Was the feelings he had for Rey real or just an illusion? Would she ever care for him the way that he cares for her? 

 

Ben entered the kitchen and saw Ms. Phasma taking blueberry scones off the tray and placing them on a silver platter.

 

“Why did Rey run out of here?” Ben asked, reaching for a scone.

 

“Finn Storm left her another letter, and she was eager to read it in her room.” Ms. Phasma answered casually, looking up to see Ben’s reaction. 

 

Ben stood still, his body went ridged with anger, jealously, and fear. Did Rey really like Finn Storm? Was she in love with him?

 

“Ohh.” Ben said curtly.

 

Ms. Phasma stood up straight and looked at him and took a deep breath.

 

“Sir, if I could speak freely for one moment.” 

 

Ben nodded and Ms. Phasma took another deep breath before wringing her hands together nervously.

 

“Sir, I see a lot in this house, and I hear a lot. I know that you are in love with Rey, please don’t deny it, and I can say that she feels the same way about you. But those feelings are changing and focusing on Finn. If you don’t do something to show her that you care about her, she will leave and never come back. I see the way you two look at each other, and I want to make sure that you two get together because I think you two complement each other better than any other couple I know. Now you better fix this and let her know how you feel or else she will leave, and I won’t blame her!” Ms. Phasma raised her voice and picked up the tray before walking out of the kitchen muttering under her breath. 

 

Ben stood in the kitchen in a stunned silence, did Ms. Phasma just tell him that Rey was in love with him? He stood there drinking in everything that Ms. Phasma had told him, and he silently promised himself that he would not mess this up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe can see that Rey is not enjoying her lessons, a conversation with Ms. Phasma helps him find a way to motivate her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Just an update next week I will not be able to post on Monday, I will be driving home from my cousins wedding. I will definetly post later on in the week.   
> I am also starting a new Fic! It is based on The Mummy (1999) staring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, it is one of my favorite movies and I can't wait to have you guys read it!!

Chapter 18

 

Poe

 

Poe watched Rey doze off to sleep for the third time during his etiquette lesson, she was supposed to be writing down the correct responses to someone saying, ‘How do you do?’. Poe sighed and walked out of the study, leaving Rey slumbering on the couch in the study, he walked into the dining room and saw Ben sitting at the head of the dining room table looking at a piece of paper. Poe sat down next to Ben and poured himself a cup of tea from the tea and finger food Ms. Phasma had placed on the table, he was eyeing the finger sandwiches, trying to decide which one he wanted to snack on. 

 

“How is Rey doing with the new lessons?” Ben asked, his eyes focused on the paper he was reading but his ears turned a light pink with the question.

 

Poe sighed and took a bit of a ham and swiss cheese finger sandwich, Rey was smart, and she liked being challenged in her lessons, but learning about the etiquette and ways of high society was utterly boring to her. 

 

“Rey is bored with the lessons, she fell asleep in the middle of our lesson today! She would have never dared to fall sleep in one of your lessons.” Poe joked, he picked up his teacup and took a sip. 

 

Ben laughed and put down his paper, he looked over at Poe and smiled. 

 

“Your too soft with her, she likes to be more engaged in the lessons. She wants to argue about what is considered right and what is considered wrong.” Ben smiled again, his blush deepened and covered his face. 

 

“I’ll take a page out of your book next time and just yell at her till she learns it.” Poe said with a laugh.

 

Ben glared playfully at Poe before standing up and walking out of the dining room. Poe finished his sandwich and began to reach for another when Ms. Phasma walked into the room.

 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Phasma.” Poe said, still choosing which sandwich to eat. He grabbed another Ham and Swiss when he looked up to see Ms. Phasma towering over him, her face filled with concern. 

 

“Mr. Poe, we need to talk.” She said quietly, glancing around the room. She walked over to the doors that lead to the hallway and closed them then she went to the doors that lead to the kitchen and closed them too.

 

Poe looked around the room and to the doors that she had just closed, he was confused to why she wanted to talk to him and why she was being so mysterious. 

 

“Of course, Ms. Phasma. Please have a seat.” He stood up and pulled out the chair next to his, after she sat down, he pushed in her chair before returning to his own seat. 

 

After he sat down Ms. Phasma looked around the room one more time before she took a deep breath and spoke. 

 

“I don’t know if you have noticed but Ben is in love with Rey and she feels the same way about him, they haven’t said it out loud, I can see it in the way they interact. But they are both too nervous or stubborn to admit it to the other person. I told Ben yesterday that he needs to step up and admit to her how he feels because she is falling for the young man who keeps writing to her and professes his love with each note. I have worked for Ben too long to know that he is going to mess it up by denying his feelings for her, then pretend that he is above love and will ultimately loose her to Finn Storm. And Rey is just as bad as he is! Rey sees the attention that Finn Storm is giving her, and she will run away with him to spite Ben, she will regret it in a few weeks, but she won’t know how to get out of being with Finn and it will ruin her life! I need you to help me nudge them closer to each other so they can realize that the other person feels the same way about them, and they can admit their feelings.” Ms. Phasma took a deep breath after her long speech and waited for his response. 

 

Poe leaned back in his chair, letting the gravity of everything Ms. Phasma just said wash over him. He thought over the last few months, how Ben and Rey went from arguing over every little thing to them being civil with each other. The holiday to the beach had also changed their relationship, they would always pair off together and go to the beach or read together, leaving Poe to his own devices. He remembered the way Ben’s eyes would light up whenever Rey’s name was mentioned and the way Rey would blush when Ben complimented her, they even shared ‘secret’ glances they would take when the other wasn’t looking. Poe gasped and looked at Ms. Phasma.

 

“OH, MY LORD THEY ARE IN LOVE!” He said loudly.

 

“SHHHHH, not so loud Mr. Poe! We know that but they don’t.” She looked at the door, making sure no one busted through them. 

 

“What can I do to help?” He asked, leaning closer to Ms. Phasma, eager to hear her plan.

 

NEXT DAY

 

Poe was sitting in the study, practicing in his head how he was going to ask Ben to help him with Rey’s lesson today. He and Ms. Phasma had talked about different ways they could push they two together and they decided that having them practice ballroom dancing was the best way. Rey was going to need to learn it so she would be able to dance at the Winter’s Ball and Ben was trained at a young age to know all different types of dances. Poe now just needed an excuse to why he couldn’t help Rey learn how to dance. 

 

Poe nervously looked up at Ben, who was sitting behind his desk reading the same letter from the day before. Poe cleared his throat to get Ben’s attention, Ben looked up at Poe with a face full of irritation.

 

“What Poe?” Ben said in his monotone voice.

 

“I need some help with my lesson today.” Poe stated, trying to keep his voice natural.

 

“What kind of lesson is it?” Ben asked, his eyes returning to the paper he was holding. 

 

“Rey needs a dancing lesson and my knee is hurting today. I can instruct you two on what to do but I need you to dance with her.” Poe said, watching Ben’s reaction.

 

Ben looked up from his paper, fear in his eyes, he gulped nervously and put the paper down on his desk. 

 

“Uh, if you are sure that you can’t dance with her then yes, I can step in and help you Poe.” Ben muttered, his cheeks blushing. 

 

“Perfect! Rey should be done with her afternoon break soon and we can get started.” Poe clapped with excitement. 

 

Ben nodded quickly and returned to reading his paper. Poe noticed how Ben had undone the top button on his crisp white shirt and was nervously playing with his hair, he was really in love with Rey. After 20 minutes Rey entered the study, her bored expression disappeared when she saw Ben sitting at his desk, a blush crept up her face. Rey was wearing a light blue casual dress with white cuffs on her mid upper arm. She wore a brown belt with matching brown boots, her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a matching blue bow holding it together. 

 

“Good afternoon.” Rey said quietly.

 

Ben immediately looked up and jumped out of his seat, he walked around his desk to stand in front of Rey.

 

“Good afternoon Rey.” His voice quivered as he spoke. 

 

“Good afternoon Rey,” Poe spoke from his seat on the couch, the pair looked over at him. As if remembering they weren’t the only ones in the room. “We are going to be doing this lesson a little differently today. I hurt my knee and I can’t teach you how to dance, so I asked Ben to help us.” 

 

Rey took a shallow breath and looked up at the man she loved, Ben looked nervously down at her and Poe couldn’t hide his smile. After Ben cleared the center of the study so that he and Rey had room to dance, he then took off his jacket. Ben was wearing a white button-down shirt which he rolled the sleeve up to his elbow, a dark green vest and brown pants. 

 

“Now Rey, Ben will be leading the dance. Ben put your hand on Rey’s waist, Rey put yours on his shoulder. And with the unused hand hold your partners.” Poe instructed.

 

Ben tentatively put his massive hand on Rey’s lower back, Poe saw her body tense for a second before relaxing. Rey reached up and put her hand on Ben’s shoulder, their empty hands finally meeting. Ben’s hand engulfed Rey’s but it was tentative and careful, their bodies were a foot apart from each other.

 

“Rey, Ben, you need to stand closer together.” Poe said. 

 

The pair took a step closer to each other till their chests were touching, Rey looked up at Ben and he looked down at her. Both were blushing head to toe. 

 

“Now, one, two, three, one, two, three.” Poe instructed, and they began to dance. 

 

They whispered quietly to each other in hushed tones that Poe couldn’t hear. Ben lead her around the room, spinning her occasionally, their eyes never leaving the other person’s face. 

 

Poe sighed and looked out the door to see Ms. Phasma hiding behind the door beaming from ear to ear. 

 

Poe thought to himself “It’s one-two-three- and suddenly I see it at a glance. She is radiant and confident and born to take this chance, we taught her, we planned it all, we just forgot romance. I should have let them dance before.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I could have danced all night and begged for more!   
> I love this chapter so much and I hope you do too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS!!! My cousins wedding was amazing! I loved seeing all my family members and more!!   
> Hope you guys like this chapter! I was so excited to write this

Chapter 19

 

Rey

 

Rey was taking quick shallow breaths, was this real? Was she really dancing with Ben Solo? His massive had was holding on tightly to her waist, as if she could float away at any moment. And she could, her heart was so happy and light that she could just float away to heaven. Her hand in his fit perfectly, as if they were meant to be hand in hand forever. 

 

They had begun to dance slowly, Ben took the lead. When his foot stepped forward hers would step back, the instinct of following him kicked in. They were in perfect step with each other, the world around them dissolving away, leaving them dancing in the middle of the room. 

 

“You’re doing very well.” Ben commented, whispering in her ear. The deep tone of his voice warmed her entire body, she could melt in his arms.

 

“Thank you. I’ve never danced before.” She whispered back, looking up at him. 

 

His dark brown eye bore into hers, they were so soft and caring. Rey had missed Ben immensely, after the Naboo Holiday he had become distant. Poe had taken over her lessons and she would only see Ben during meals. He was always working or reading during the meals, it was almost as if he wasn’t there. But now they were too close not to talk. She breathed in Ben’s cologne, he always smelled like warmth and home. Rey loved the smell of old books and a warm fire, it reminded her of her dreams from Naboo, them sitting on the couch reading in front of an open fire. The Naboo dreams hadn’t stopped when they left, they had become more intense and life-like now, they would have Rey and Ben walking the street together, going to a play together and more. During the dream she was full of bliss and love, but when she woke up, she was filled with dread because it wasn’t real and would most likely never be. But now, in Ben’s arms the dreams felt that they could become real. 

 

Ben let go of Rey’s waist and spun her around, her heart fluttered with the sensation. After the twirl his hand found its way back to her waist, they continued dancing around the room, her eye’s never leaving his.

 

“You are an amazing dancer, Rey.” He said again. 

 

They waltzed around the room, occasionally Ben would stop and spin her, they talked quietly about everything and nothing. Rey’s heart was on fire, she had never felt so happy her entire life. Ben held onto her as if his life depended on it, but it felt natural. She knew that he was the only one she wanted to dance with for the rest of their lives. After a little while they slowed down and danced slowly in a circle. Rey’s head rested on his chest, Ben’s chin rested softly on her head. 

 

“I’m feeling dizzy.” She whispered, taking a deep breath of his cologne before pulling away to look in his eyes. Rey’s stomach was in knots and her heart was beating so fast, it threatened to break out of her chest.

 

They had unconsciously come to a stop, but they still held each other in the dancers embrace.

 

“Then we should stop spinning.” Ben said slowly, his eyes still focused on hers. 

 

“We have stopped.” She said back. 

 

“Rey, I …” Ben whispered. His head lowered and came closer to hers, his eyes flickering to her lips and then back to her eyes. 

 

“Ben…” She replied breathlessly. She tilted her head up, ready to close the distance between their lips.

 

Ben’s body suddenly went rigid and he took a step back, Rey looked at him with confusion. His face was beet red, he still held her hand.

 

“Rey…I…we should stop for tonight.” He said quietly.

 

Rey nodded slowly, still confused why he stopped so quickly. Ben pulled her by her hand and wrapped her in a tight embrace, he kissed her forehead.

 

“Goodnight, love.” He whispered to her. 

 

He let go and left the room, Rey was left standing in the center of the room replaying what had happened in her head. In the small act of kissing her head and calling her ‘love’ he had said ‘I love you’ to her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Poe leave the room and go upstairs. A few silent moments later, Ms. Phasma came into the room.

 

“Let’s get you to bed Rey.” She said sweetly, a smile plastered on her face.

 

“Bed? I couldn’t go to bed. My head’s too light to try and set it down.” Rey muttered with a giggle. 

 

Ms. Phasma led her up the stairs and to her room, Ms. Phasma quickly helped Rey change into her nightgown before going to the door. 

 

“It’s all been grand dear. But now it’s time to sleep.” Ms. Phasma said before leaving her room and shutting her door. 

 

“Sleep? I couldn’t sleep tonight. Not for all the jewels in the crown.” Rey got out of her bed and jumped around the room, mimicking her and Ben dancing. “I could have danced all night. And still have begged for more. I’ll never know what made it so exciting! Why all at once my heart took flight! I only know when he began to dance with me, I could have danced all night!” She said and then flung herself onto her bed. She wanted to remember this night for the rest of her life. 

 

Ben Solo

 

Ben couldn’t breathe, he had almost kissed Rey and she was going to kiss him back! He couldn’t believe it, Ms. Phasma was right. Rey did love him, how could someone as perfect as Rey love a man like him?

 

Ben went to his room and shut the door, he criticized himself for not having the nerve to kiss her right then and there. He could still feel her in his arms, he was drunk on the scent of her lavender shampoo and the softness of her hand in his. He wanted to keep the feeling of her pressed to his chest for the rest of his life. 

 

As he changed into his pajamas, he became furious with himself for distancing himself from her for the last few weeks. His mother’s criticisms had affected him so much that he had pushed the love of his life away. He lied down in bed and thought over the past hour, Rey in his arms and then almost kissing her. He was absolutely in love with this woman and he knew that he was going to have to prove it soon, or else she would leave him. 

 

The last thoughts he had as his mind drifted off to sleep was, “When she began to dance with me, I could have danced all night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the ball, the time has come to see if the work everyone has put in will work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone!  
> Y'all ready for some fluff??? I love Reylo Fluff, the angst is fun to write but the fluff warms me up inside.

Chapter 20

 

Ben 

 

The day had finally arrived, it was the day of the winter ball. All the months of practicing speech, manners and dancing was going to come to fruition tonight. Ben had woken up at 2 am with a chest full of anxiety, it was still dark outside, leaving Ben to stew in the dark with his worries. Did he teach Rey the proper pronunciation of the Kings and Queens names? Bid Poe teach her the proper spoon to use for chilled soup? Did Ms. Phasma pick up the proper suits and dress? 

 

When he felt like he was drowning in his thoughts he escaped to his study downstairs. When he arrived at the room, he was surprised to see Rey reading on the couch with the fireplace burning.

 

“Rey, what are you doing up so early?” He asked quietly.

 

Rey jumped in her seat and turned to look at him. Her face was illuminated by the fire light, softening her already delicate features.

 

“Oh Ben! You scared me! I couldn’t sleep.”

 

“So, you came down here?” He walked over to the couch and sat down next to her.

 

His heart fluttered when he realized how close they were sitting, in the dark…in their pajamas. They both flushed but neither moved away, their arms touching and their hands flirting with the idea of touching. 

 

“Uh, yes I came down here to read.” She lifted her book to prove her reason for being there.

 

“But you have a chair and a fireplace in your room. Why come down here?” He questioned. 

 

Her blush deepened and her hands put the book down. 

 

“I like being in here more, my room is nice, but the study feels more like home. In here I feel relaxed and comfortable. Warm and inviting.” 

 

Ben stared at her, she felt at home here. This would be her home now, in his eyes, he wanted her to stay here forever. He smiled and picked up a book from the table next to the couch and began to read, Rey picked her book up too and began to read. She relaxed into the couch and shifted her body closer to his, closing the distance so their shoulders were touching. 

 

After an hour he could hear snores escaped her lips, her body slumped closer to his and her face landed on his chest. He gingerly put his arm around her and pulled her close, if this was a dream he never wanted to wake up.

 

Ben slowly woke a few hours later when the sun began shining brightly through the window.

 

“Rey, sweet, we need to get ready for the ball. You need to get up, love.” He whispered in her ear.

 

Rey nuzzled closer into his chest and mumbled an incoherent response.

 

“What sweet?” He asked.

 

“A few more minutes, love.” She replied clearly.

 

Ben’s heart beat faster, Rey called him ‘love’. 

 

“We need to get up sweet, the ball is tonight.” He said with a shaky voice.

 

Rey sat straight up, woken from her lazy sleep by the mention of the ball.

 

“I need to get ready.” She said, getting up quickly from the couch.

 

He couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful woman before him, her hair was disheveled and strewn around her face, her pajamas were askew, but she was more beautiful than ever. Rey ran out of the room and up the stairs, Ben laughed and went to his room, he needed to get ready for the most stressful and eventful night of his life. 

 

A Few Hours Later

 

Ben and Poe were dressed and relaxing in the study, waiting for Rey to come downstairs. Ben was sitting behind his desk pretending to read a letter, his nerves were on edge, but he was pretending that he was calm. Poe paced the room ringing his hands and twisting his white gloves. Poe was muttering concerns as he walked around. Ben could hear the occasional word, which if he wasn’t scared beyond his wits, he would think it was hilarious. 

 

“hmm… spoon…king…. ugh.”

 

“Will you please sit down, Poe? You are going to create a hole in my rug.” Ben said in a measured voice, covering his nervousness.

 

“I don’t see how you aren’t over here pacing along with me. How are you so relaxed? This is the biggest moment of Rey’s life, your life and mine!” Poe shouted.

 

“Poe, you need to calm down. You are being entirely too loud.” Ben said calmly, staring at the letter again.

 

He could not understand any of the markings on the paper. Poe groaned and muttered to himself, “I need a drink.”

 

Poe walked over to the whisky bottle that was sitting on the table near the doorway. He poured two shots, Ben stood up and walked to where Poe was standing. Poe drank one of the shots and offered the other to Ben, Ben shook his head indicating he didn’t want it.

 

“Piss off Ben.” Poe muttered before drinking the second shot.

 

“What are we going to do if something goes wrong?” Poe whispered. 

 

Ben looked down at his friend, he had the same thought running through his mind as well. 

 

“Nothing will go wrong. We taught her everything we know, and she is a smart girl She will do great.” Ben said, mainly to calm himself down. 

 

“You’re right.” Poe said after a few moments of silence. 

 

They heard footsteps coming down the stairs, they rushed out the study door to see Rey come down the stairs. Rey was stunning, she was wearing a cream-colored A-line dress that had a sparkling mesh fabric covering it. The sleeves came to her mid upper arm and her long cream gloves went past her elbows. Her brown hair was put into a single bun on the top of her head, a small diamond tiara was placed at the base of the bun and her head. Her neck gracefully held a stunning single diamond necklace draped across it. Rey was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, he knew he was absolutely and hopelessly in love with her.

 

“My dear you look wonderful.” Poe exclaimed helping her down the stairs. 

 

Ben couldn’t stop staring, his feet remained rooted where he stood. 

 

“Thank you, Poe. What do you think Ben?” She stared at him and blushed. 

 

“Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.” He said in a low voice. 

 

Rey’s blushed deepened and she giggled, her eyes never leaving his.

 

“The car is ready.” Ms. Phasma announced from the front doorway.

 

“M’lady.” Poe offered Rey his arm and led her to the front door.

 

Once their backs were turned Ben quickly ran back into his study and poured himself a shot. He swallowed it quickly and shook off the nerves and bitter taste. Now he was ready for the ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey has arrived at the ball and is terrified, how will the night go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All! Happy Post Halloween and Pre-Christmas Season, hope you all had a great time.   
> I am so close to finishing this story and will post be posting the final chapter count soon.  
> I have 70 Days left till I move to Disney!!

Chapter 21

 

Rey 

 

In and Out. In and Out. Rey quietly reminded herself to breath as she and Poe walked down the main hallway of the palace. Poe’s arm stayed on her hip as he directed her through the crowds, a head of them Rey could see Ben speaking to a skinny red-haired man. Ben’s expression was more pained than usual, if she wasn’t so nervous Rey would laugh at the sight. Rey’s stomach fluttered as she stared at Ben, he was wearing a black tuxedo with a white button-down shirt and a black bow-tie, he was the most handsome man in the room. His hair was neatly slicked back away from his face and showed off his statuesque features. Rey secretly wished she was walking with his hand on her hip rather than Poe’s. 

 

Poe led them over to Leia Organa and a sliver haired man who was next to her, he looked bored but leaned down to listen to her whisper in her ear. Leia looked at Poe and Rey and waved them over, smiling and whispering something to the man again. 

 

“Rey and Poe, how lovely to see you.” Leia said with a smile. “This is my fiancé, Ben’s father, Han Solo”

 

Leia looked up lovingly at the silver haired man. Rey curtsied and smiled back at Ben’s parents, she could see how Ben was a great mixture of them. Han smiled at the pair and shook Poe’s hand with enthusiasm he then took Rey’s hand and kissed the top of it. 

 

“Nice to meet you two. I’ve heard so much about your experiment from Leia.” He whispered with a wink. 

 

Rey could feel her face flush red with slight embarrassment, someone else knew who she truly was and that scared but comforted her. Han looked like an older version of Ben, his silver hair was swept back and showed off his large ears. Han wore a fake face, masking his annoyance with the opulence around him, he looked like he would rather be anywhere but here. Rey felt a small connection grow between her and the older man, but she couldn’t figure out why. Poe and Leia began talking about the other guests and the politics of who was in attendance, Rey and Han awkwardly stood next to each other. 

 

“I used to be a Captain of a Ship but being here in this monkey suit makes me feel like a fish out of water.” Han leaned down and whispered to her.

 

Rey giggled and relaxed, at least she wasn’t the only one who felt awkward in this environment. 

 

“I used to be a flower girl on the streets until Ben and Poe taught me proper manners and English.” Rey whispered back. 

 

“Ahh the things we do for love.” He replied. 

 

Before Rey could clarify to Han that’s not how this started, she was interrupted by the fanfare of trumpets coming from the end of the hallway. Every guest in the room cleared the center of the hallway and stood against the walls. Poe and Rey stood next to each other on the other side of the hall Ben was standing directly across from her. He looked her in the eyes and smiled slightly, the red-haired man next to him continued to speak. Rey wanted to know who the man next to Ben was, before she could ask Poe a voice shouted from the end of the hall yelled.

 

“MAY I PRESENT KING CHEWBACCA, QUEEN MAZ AND PRINCE BB OF TAKONDA” 

 

The doors swung and revealed the visiting dignitaries. King Chewbacca was a tall man with long brown hair and an equally long brown beard, he wore a silver crown on top of his head. He wore a black suit with a silver and black studded sash across his chest. Queen Maz walked next to him and was half of her husband’s height, her skin was the color of caramel and her hair was a light brown orange. She wore a deep blue long dress with long white gloves that went up to her elbows and large glasses covering most of her face. Prince BB was a mix of his parents, he was a few inches shorter than his father and had the same color hair as his mothers. He wore a black tuxedo with orange and white accents. The royal trio walked down the hallway, occasionally stopping in front of a guest and having a short conversation. Each guest that was passed by the royals bowed or curtsied. They came closer to where Rey was standing, and her heart began to race she could feel her knees begin to shake with nervous energy. 

 

The royals walked in front of her and she curtsied low, keeping her eyes on the ground the way Poe had taught her. A gloved hand came into her view and cupped itself under her chin, applying slight pressure to lift her up from her lowered position. The gloved hand belonged to Queen Maz, Rey’s stomach tightened into a knot, her thoughts immediately turned dark with the dreadful thought that she had been found out and would be thrown out to the streets.

 

“What’s your name Miss?” Queen Maz asked with a strong gravelly voice.

 

“Rey, Rey Kenobi. Your Majesty.” Her voice slightly shaking.

 

“Beautiful.” Queen Maz mused before letting go of her face and continued down the hallway. 

 

Poe raised himself from his bow and took Rey’s hand, squeezing it to reassure her that everything is fine. Ben continued to stare at Rey, his eyes expressed no emotion. Rey could feel the knot in her stomach grow tighter with each passing moment. 

 

Once the royals were done walking the hallway, they entered the ballroom, a few seconds later the doors behind Rey opened and allowed the guests to enter. The room was the definition of over the top, it was a large room with high white walls and golden embellishment’s shaped in intricate patterns decorated the walls. High above the dance floor a large crystal chandelier stood resolutely as the centerpiece if the room, smaller versions of the chandelier was scattered around the room. Rey entered the room and was in complete awe, she had never seen anything like this before. She could see a large orchestra on the other side of the room playing lively dancing music, a few couples were already beginning to dance in the center of the room. Rey’s mind was so wrapped up in the elegance of the room that she almost didn’t notice a large hand wrap around her waist. She turned and looked up at the person attached to the hand and relaxed when she saw Ben smiling down at her. 

 

“You did great.” Ben whispered and squeezed her waist. 

 

Rey was about to ask Ben if he wanted to dance when a butler came over, Ben’s hand suddenly dropped away from her waist. 

 

“Excuse me, Miss Kenobi, Queen Maz has requested your presence and would like to have a word with you. If you could follow me, please.” He said curtly before turning on his heel. 

 

Rey looked up at Ben with a panicked expression, she felt physically sick with the anxiety she had coursing throughout her body. Ben winked at her and gently pushed her to follow the butler, Rey took a deep breath and followed the man. 

 

Rey followed him across the dance floor to an elevated seated area that was surrounded by guards, the seated area had the three royals and a few more dignitaries talking to each other. The butler walked forward and extended his arm to Rey, helping her walk up the stairs. 

 

“Miss Rey Kenobi, your majesty.” He said before turning and walking down the stairs to stand in front of them. 

 

Rey could feel all the eyes of the seated area and the ballroom fall on her, she was not ready for this, she was a flower girl from the streets of Jakku not a duchess or a princess. Before the nerves could paralyze her, she took a deep curtsy and then stood straight. 

 

“Come over my dear.” Queen Maz said and moved over on the couch to accommodate Rey.

 

Rey sat next to the Queen and took deep even breaths trying to calm herself down. Queen Maz took off her glasses and looked at Rey deeply and intently, as if she was trying to uncover a hidden message written across her face. 

 

“I’ve lived a long and good life my dear, and when you have lived the life I have you meet so many people. Over time you can see the same eyes in different people, and with you I see someone who is one foot in the past and the other in the future. You are scared about the future, I can see it in your eyes. You already know the truth. Whatever you are waiting for in the past, is never coming back, but there’s someone who loves you now.” She said, holding Rey’s hand tightly in hers. 

 

Rey was in disbelief, how could this woman she had just met know everything that was going through her mind. Her excitement for the ball had masked her terror that brewed inside her, what was going to happen to her after tonight? The deal with Ben was just to take her to the ball and pass her off as one of them, they never discussed where she would go when it was all over. Rey was hopelessly in love with Ben and she could tell that he felt similarly to her, but he didn’t act on it so how was she to know for sure. Rey sighed and looked at the Queen in the eyes, she could feel tears welling up. 

 

“Don’t cry my dear, go dance with BB and get your mind off whatever is in your heart. Hopefully it will make your love jealous and will force him to act.” She said with a wink. 

 

Prince BB walked over and extended his hand to Rey, helping her up from the couch and down the stairs. He escorted her to the middle of the dance floor and began dancing the waltz with her, they spun around and around the dance floor. Rey’s mind cleared with every turn, she let of of the fear and the worry and melted into the dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armitage Hux has always been an inquisitive man when it came to accents and people, when he saw a brown haired woman at the Winter's Ball he knew he had to find out who she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO MY BEAUTIES!!!  
> I am currently taking a break from writing a 16 page essay about marketing and its honestly fucking me up lol. I was supposed to have a group with 5 members but now it's just me and one other guy. This is soooo much fun *cue sarcasm*   
> Love you all and hope you all like this chapter!

Chapter 22 

 

Armitage Hux

 

The brown-haired woman dancing with Prince BB across the ballroom floor confused Armitage Hux. All night he had been trying to figure out who she was, she was pretty but nothing special in anyway. As a professional diction detector, it was his job to figure out who people truly were, many people put on facades to get into balls and high society events that the organizers hired him to weed out the fakes from the guests. He needed to use his skills to find out who this woman is and expose her as a fraud.

 

Earlier

 

“Professor Solo? Is that you?” Hux was bewildered to see his old mentor, Ben Solo, standing in the middle of the castle hallway. 

 

Ben Solo turned around and looked at Hux with confusion and disdain.

 

“Good to see you, who are you?” Ben asked curtly, looking around the room as he did, preoccupied with his search around the room. 

 

“How quickly you forget your most prestigious pupil.” Hux sneered, he absolutely loathed his former mentor.

 

“Armitage Hux?” Ben looked at him for the first time since the conversation started.

 

“Of course, how many other students have learned as quickly as I did. It may have taken me two years to learn perfect diction and conversation skills but now I speak better than most royals.” Hux said proudly.

 

Ben laughed at Hux’s statement. That stoked Hux’s anger at his old teacher even more, Ben was only a year or two older than Hux, but he acted like he was better than him in every way. Hux had to prove that he was better now that he had left Ben’s lessons.

 

“I was hired by the Ball organizers to weed out the fakes and frauds from the royals. I took what you taught me and made it into an actual profitable career. What have you been up to? Bullying new students?” 

 

Before Ben could reply the Royals entered at the end of the hallway and began walking through the parted crowd to the other end of the hallway. Every so often Queen Maz stopped to talk to a high society or royal guest, when she stopped across the hall from him in front of a commonly pretty woman. The woman had a plain face that could easily blend into a crowd, but she somehow drew the attention of the Queen and now him. Hux had never seen this woman at any event before, but she had a face that he wouldn’t remember. 

 

The Royals continued through the hallway and entered the ballroom, but he stood where he was and watched the brown-haired. She was escorted into the ballroom by Poe Dameron, a former pilot turned linguist, they talked to Leia Organa and her husband Han Solo, who hasn’t been seen at a high society event in years. Hux was intrigued on how this woman was associated with this eclectic group of people, how did they all know each other. Hus followed the group at a distance, watching the group interact with each other and the others around them. Soon Ben Solo walked over to the group and stood behind the mystery woman, blocking Hux’s view of her. Almost immediately a butler came over and escorted her to the Queen’s private sitting quarters, Hux had to get closer to her. 

 

Present

 

He watched her final dance with Prince BB and quickly walked over to dance with her but was cut off by Ben Solo rushing over to dance with her. Hux stood close to the edge of the dance floor and watched the pair waltz around the room together, Ben held her close to him as they danced, tighter than just casual friends would. Ben looked different when he danced with her, he looked lighter and happier, something about her brought out a happiness in the normally angry man. It was a truly rare sight to see.

 

Ben and the woman waltzed around the dance floor after a loop or two, Ben stopped in front of Hux and offered the woman’s hand to Hux.

 

“Rey Kenobi, this is Armitage Hux a former student of mine. Armitage Hux, this is Rey Kenobi, a dear friend.” Ben said with a broad smile.

 

What was Ben playing at? He must have seen the way Hux had been examining her all night and now was taunting him with a chance to interrogate her. 

 

“How nice to meet you sir.” Her soft voice sounded like a flute, she curtsied and smiled at him. 

 

Her accent was strongly British, but he could tell there was something else under it and he was ready to uncover it. 

 

“Would you care for a dance Miss Kenobi?” He asked, wanting to continue his investigation without interruption.

 

“Yes, thank you.” She followed him out to the dance floor, and they began dancing in time with the music. 

 

They danced in silence for a few minutes, Hux analyzed the way she danced. She danced with a traditional form that was taught in Central London, a typical style for the upper-class and Royals. 

 

“Miss Kenobi, where are you from?” He inquired.

 

“I’m from London, I grew up near Jakku.” She answered effortlessly.

 

“Do you live somewhere else now?” He asked, trying to pin point her exact location. 

 

“No, I still live there. It’s my home and I most likely won’t leave soon.” She said with a smile.

 

“What about travel? Have you traveled throughout Europe?” He needed to find out why she sounded so different than most British people.

 

“No, I just traveled to Naboo recently but that’s the only travel I have partaken in.” She focused on the dance. 

 

This didn’t make sense to Hux, her accent wasn’t completely British why was she lying to him. He stopped his questions and they danced in silence until the song ended. He let go of her and bowed she replied with a curtsy and walked back to Ben Solo and Poe Dameron. Hux ran through all the options in his head and tried to see if he could identify who she was, he watched her a little while longer. He watched her mannerisms the way she greeted people and he finally drew his conclusion. 

 

Hux hurriedly ran over to the event organizer and whispered in his ear the truth about the woman. He knew that his discovery was the truth and that the woman was no longer a mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ball is over and the trio is home, and Ms. Phasma wants to know everything!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting yesterday, seasonal depression is hitting hard this week. But its the end of the semester for me and I am so excited to move to Disney in January.

Chapter 23

 

Ms. Phasma

 

Ms. Phasma had paced the hallway for the past 45 minutes, she was eager to know what happened at the ball. She cared so much for Rey and was worried that if she was outed it would break her heart. It was currently half past 11 pm, the ball has ended at 11 pm. Ms. Phasma prayed that it was a traffic jam that was keeping them rather than the authorities. 

 

The click of the lock on the front door shook Ms. Phasma from her dreadful thoughts, she turned and rushed to the door. Ben was the first to enter, a large shining smile spread across his face, Poe entered next wearing the same expression as well and Rey brought up the rear with a small smile on her face. The men took off their jackets and gave them to Ms. Phasma, she quickly dropped them on a chair near the front door and followed the trio in front of her. 

 

Ben and Poe walked into the study and started pouring two glasses of brandy and sat on the couch and arm chair, Poe brought the bottle of brandy with him and cradled it like a baby. Rey stood by Ben’s desk and looked around the room, slowly relaxing into the quiet space. 

 

“Tonight, old man, you did it. You did it! You said that you would do it and indeed you did. I doubted you’d do it, but now I must admit it that succeed you did. You should get a medal or even made a knight.” Poe proclaimed, then drank his entire glass of brandy before pouring himself another.

 

Ms. Phasma sat down in one of the armchairs, not caring about the class difference but eager to hear the events of tonight. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rey sit down in Ben’s desk chair, leaning back and closing her eyes.

 

“Oh, it was nothing. Really nothing.” Ben said what a laugh.

 

“All alone you hurdled every obstacle in sight.” Poe praised.

 

“Now, wait. Give credit where it’s due. A lot of the glory goes to you.” Ben replied. 

 

Ms. Phasma looked over at Rey, trying to gauge her reaction. Rey was the one who risked her life and reputation to go to the ball and Ben and Poe were taking all the credit. Rey, still laid back in the chair, sat up a bit with a confused look on her face.

 

“But you’re the one who did it! Not a second did you falter. There’s no doubt about it, you did it. I must have aged a year tonight. At times I thought I’d die of fright, never was there a momentary lull.” Poe downed his second glass and poured a third.

 

“Shortly after we came in, I saw at once we’d easily win; and after that I found it deadly dull.” Ben said with a sip of his brandy, acting bored.

 

“You should have heard the ooh’s and ah’s, everyone wondering who she was. You’d think they’d never seen a lady before. And when the Prince of Takonda started to dance with her. I turned to you and said, ‘You did it!’. They thought she was ecstatic and so damned aristocratic, and they never knew you did it.” Poe laughed and laid down on the couch. 

 

“Thank heavens for Armitage Hux. If it weren’t for him, I would have died of boredom.” Ben said with another sip.

 

“Hux? The dreadful ginger was there?” Ms. Phasma interrupted. 

 

She remembered the terrible student from a few years ago, he was rude and overly confident with his speech abilities. He always was mispronouncing different phrases and never listened to Ben when he corrected the ginger student. 

 

“Yes, that ginger rat uses the science of speech to blackmail and swindle rather teach. He made it his business to ‘find out who this Miss. Kenobi is’. Every time we looked around there he was walking around, never leaving us alone. Finally, I decided it was foolish not to let him dance with her. So, I stepped aside and let him dance with her. When at last the dance was done, he glowed as if he knew he’d won, he went up to the event organizer and announced that Miss. Kenobi was a fraud.” Ben laughed and took a sip of his brandy.

 

“NO!” Ms. Phasma shouted.

 

“What?” Rey said, sitting up in her chair.

 

“ ’Yes’ he said, ‘Her English is too good which clearly indicates that she is foreign. And although she may have studied with an expert, I can tell she was born Takondan! Not only Takondan, but of Royal blood. She is a PRINCESS!’” Ben recalled with a laugh. “Thank God this is over, now I can go to bed without dreading tomorrow.”

 

Ben downed his drink and laughed along with Poe and Ms. Phasma, the trio laughed hard at how Hux had been duped. Rey sat still in the desk chair, not showing any expression on her face, she had a slight tremble and was biting her lip.

 

Ms. Phasma couldn’t help but laugh, thinking about how Hux was far off from the truth. It showed how terrible of a student he was now just as he was then. Ms. Phasma rose from her seat and let out a sigh of relief, tonight had gone smoothly. All the months of preparation and hard work had finally come to completion, what was going to happen now? She didn’t want to think about the future right now, all she wanted to do was bask in the pride that Rey had done well tonight. 

 

Ms. Phasma began collecting Ben and Poe’s glasses before facing the two men and smiled.

 

“Congratulations Professor Solo and Mr. Poe, you did it!” Ms. Phasma said before leaving the study. 

 

Ms. Phasma walked down the hall and turned to see Ben and Poe walk out of the study and up the stairs leading to the bedrooms. She walked back and peered into the study, Rey was still sitting at Ben’s desk. Rey had a somber expression on her face as she stared wistfully around the room, Ms. Phasma couldn’t imagine what Rey was thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is hurt by Ben and decides that this is the final straw, what will she do with this decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM ALMOST DONE WRITING THIS!! We have a final chapter count now!! I am so sad but so proud of this story!! Thank you all for helping me and writing such amazing comments that I read but forget to reply to...oops!

Chapter 24

 

Rey

 

Rey sat at Ben’s desk perplexed and stunned. Since leaving the ball neither Ben or Poe had said anything to her, they spent the entire time congratulating each other and stroking their egos. When they got home, Ben revealed that the red-haired man had figured out she wasn’t who she said she was, even though his assumption was wrong, Ben knew what he was doing and didn’t inform Rey. 

 

Rey felt like a porcelain doll, used and thrown away tonight, the shiny newness had worn off and was now being discarded for the next best thing. She could deal with Ben and Poe congratulating each other and ignoring her but Ben’s final words hurt more than anything she had ever felt before “Thank God this is over, now I can go to bed without dreading tomorrow.” During her time here was she just a reminder of dread and a hinderance to him? Now that the ball was over what was he to do with her? A tear rolled down her cheek, she wiped it away with her gloved hand. 

 

Rey looked down at the satin gloves she was wearing, her hands were shaking with anxiety and a small fire of anger burning in her chest, she took the gloves off and threw them on Ben’s desk. How could a lovely and enchanting evening turn rotten so fast? At the beginning of the night she felt like a Princess who was loved by the man she cared for most but now she no longer was a Princess but an outsider who knew that this was never the place for her to fit in. Rey knew that this was an experiment and nothing more, she cursed herself for letting emotions in and cloud the truth of the situation. 

 

Rey stood up from the desk and walked through the study and into the hallway. She looked around and saw that everyone was gone, leaving her to her own thoughts. She looked up at the mirror hanging above the fireplace and let out a sob, this was the most beautiful she had ever looked in her life and all she could feel was sadness. Rey reached around her neck and unclasped the stunning diamond necklace and placed it on the mantel. She reached to the tiara on the top of her head and took it out, letting her brunette hair fall from its place and relax on the sides of her face, she put the tiara next to the necklace. When she left in the morning, she didn’t want to be accused of stealing the precious jewelry, she had already made up her mind on the next steps she needed to take. 

 

“Ms. Phasma, tomorrow morning can you serve me coffee instead of tea with breakfast.” Ben walked down the stairs, still dressed in his outfit from the ball, a few buttons undone on his shirt.

 

Rey turned and glared at the man she loved with her heart but hated in the moment. 

 

“Oh Rey, it’s you. I thought you went to bed when we got home from the ball. Will you please inform Ms. Phasma of my breakfast menu change?” He turned to walk up the stairs.

 

“Yes, Mr. Solo.” She said curtly.

 

Ben stopped on the third stair and turned to look at Rey, his face was masked with confusion.

 

“‘Mr. Solo’? Rey we are past that, go tell Ms. Phasma about the change and I will see you in the morning.” He said with a shake of his head. 

 

Before he could resume his climb up the stairs Rey spoke in a calm and even voice.

 

“I don’t think so Mr. Solo, what am I to do here now that the experiment is over?” She asked.

 

“What are you to do? Rey, I don’t care what you do.” Ben replied, his tone becoming gruffer.

 

“Am I to work her? Am I to live here and do nothing? Am I to be a paid whore? I am not a porcelain doll you can dress up and play with. I may have been an object in your experiment, but I am certainly not an object now that it is complete.” Rey said fiercely, holding his gaze.

 

“A paid what? Rey you can live here and do nothing if that’s what you want to do. You can leave if you want, that’s up to you. Why are you bringing this up so late at night?” He retorted. 

 

“Now that the experiment is over, I want to know what my role is, I obviously didn’t understand my position before, so I want to understand now.” 

 

“Your role?” He questioned.

 

“Yes, I was a parrot for you and Poe during the experiment, a piece of clay that you molded into creation that now is no use for you. I am no longer a burden that you are dreading to teach the next day. I want to know my use now. Or will you be taking credit for everything I say and do for now on?” Rey’s voice was full of spite. 

 

“Of course, I took credit for tonight! Do you think you could have gotten through tonight all by yourself? You were nothing but a flower girl in a gutter when we met less than a year ago, I made you who you are today.” He started to turn away.

 

“Wait, before you go what am I allowed to take with me? You paid for my dresses, do I keep them or do you?” She asked, genuinely concerned with what she was able to call her own.

 

“What use do I have with dresses you, silly girl. Take the dressed, take the furniture, take the house if you want Rey! We will talk about this in the morning.” He walked up the stairs, shouting one last thing to Rey. “Tell Ms. Phasma about the breakfast change.” 

 

She heard his bedroom door slam shut and she collapsed to her knees, this interaction with Ben was the last straw. She loved him with all her heart, but he never showed her let alone told her, and this showed her that he didn’t see her as anything more than a pawn in a game of chess. Ben only saw her as nothing more than a prize he could place on his shelf and then forget about. Rey sobbed and hugged her body tight, she was angry with Ben, but she was even angrier with herself. She had become attached to someone and had let her walls down, she hadn’t done that since her parents had abandoned her as a child. This experiment was supposed to be a stepping stone on her way to become a lady in a flower shop, but now she didn’t know who she was or what to do. 

 

Rey stood up shakily and walked to the stairs, she knew what she had to do. She was going to have to make sure she survived, a skill she had learned from her years on the street, self-preservation was her crutch. Rey went up the stairs and entered her room, she looked around one last time and took in how beautiful her life had been. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the job at hand, taking off the elegant ball gown laying it on the bed, she changed into her simple emerald dress. Quickly she packed her dresses into a suitcase along with a few pairs of heels and her copy of “The Princess Bride”. Tears were falling freely now, running down her face and blurring her vision. 

 

When her bag was packed and her mind made up, she silently slipped out of her room and tip-toed down the stairs. After walking through the hallway and arriving at the front door she turned and looked around at the beautiful home and whispered to herself, “Just you wait Ben Solo, just you wait. You’ll be sorry but your tears will be too late. You will get what’s coming to you and you’ll have no one to run to. Goodbye my love.” She closed the door on Ben Solo and her dream life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn was nervous to talk to Rey at the ball, but he got the nerve to go to Rey's that night to leave her a letter. What happens when they run into each other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving is over and now it is time to work on my finals!! I also have 42 days till I'm working at Disney!! I got to choose my roommate and place of living yesterday and I am so excited to live with her!!

Chapter 25

 

Finn

 

Finn knew it was ridiculous to be here at this time of night, it was past midnight, but something drew him to Millennium Falcon street tonight. He had attended the Winter Ball that night but hadn’t had a chance to dance with Rey, part of it was nerves and the other part was his inability to cut in. Rey had been the belle of the ball, everyone wanted to know who she was and wanted to dance with her. He loved watching her spin around the dance floor all smiles and laughs. When she left with Ben Solo and Poe Dameron, he was a bit heartbroken that he didn’t have the nerve to ask her to dance. Finn knew he had to make it up and prove that he was in love with her. When he left the ball after the last dance of the night, he wrote a quick letter about how amazing she looked tonight and bought a bouquet of flowers. 

 

Finn followed the familiar route to Rey’s home, he had visited so many times that his feet knew the way and he was able to get lost in his thoughts.

 

“I have often walked down this street before, but the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before.” 

 

He loved walking down this street just to get a glimpse of the beautiful brunette. He turned the corner and could see her front door; a single light was lit over the doorway.

 

“All at once I am several stories high, knowing I’m on the street where you live.” 

 

He was about to walk up the stairs when Rey stepped out of the front door and quietly closed it behind her. She was carrying a large carpet bag and her cheeks were stained with tears, she looked up and gasped when she saw him.

 

“Finn! What are you doing here?” She asked, her voice thick with emotion.

 

“I was coming to leave you flowers and a letter. What are you doing out here at this time of night?” He asked. 

 

Finn watched Rey walk down the stairs to stand in front of him.

 

“I need to get away. I can’t be in that house anymore with Mr. Solo for another minute more.” She huffed and walked past him and began walking down the street.

 

“My love, I’ll walk with you to wherever you want to go. I wanted to tell you how beautiful you looked tonight…”

 

Rey

 

Rey droned out Finn’s one-sided conversation and continued walking down the softly illuminated street, she was going to hail a cab and go to Leia’s house for tonight before planning her new life. Finn droned on and on for an entire block before Rey couldn’t take the noise anymore.

 

“WORDS, WORDS, WORDS. I’m so sick of words. I get words all day through, first from him now from you! Don’t talk of stars burning above, if you’re in love SHOW ME!” She stared at him, he was surprised.

 

“Here we are together in the middle of the night. Don’t talk of Spring just hold me tight. Anyone who’s ever been in love will tell you that. This is no time for a chat!” She turned and continued down the street.

 

Rey knew she wasn’t saying this to Finn because that’s how she felt for him, but she needed to get her annoyance and anger with Ben and the situation out. She turned around quickly, and Finn ran into her.

 

“Haven’t your lips longed for my touch. Don’t say how much, SHOW ME.” 

 

Finn leaned down to kiss her, but Rey took a step back and turned to walk down the street again. She didn’t want to kiss Finn and felt guilty for leading him on. Rey looked from side to side, trying to spot a cab, a fruitless endeavor at this time of night. She could hear Finn’s footsteps following behind her, frustration was building in her chest again. Rey saw Ben in her mind and thought over the past few months, her mind zeroed in on the way he had treated her when she first arrived, making her read and say words for hours on end without breaks.

 

“Never do I ever want to hear another word. There isn’t one I haven’t heard.” She huffed.

 

Rey’s mind turned to the happy memories of them at Naboo and practicing dancing.

 

“Here we are together in what ought to be a dream. Say another word and I’ll scream.” She whispered. 

 

In the distance she saw the head lights and sign of a taxi coming toward her, her heart fluttered with nervousness and excitement. Rey lifted her arm and hailed it over, it stopped, and she opened the door and placed her bag on the seat. She turned and looked at Finn who was standing on the sidewalk, with a perplexed look on his face.

 

“Love, do you want me to go with you?”

 

“No, Finn. I need to go on my own. Thank you for all the lovely letters but I am in love with someone else and I can’t be with you the way you want. I hope you understand, and we can be friends instead.” She apologized with full sincerity.

 

Finn’s face fell and he took a step back away from the taxi, he looked back down the street where they had just walked and then looked back at her.

 

“Maybe Rey. For now, I think it’s best if I keep my distance. I hope you and Ben Solo are happy together.” He bowed and walked away. 

 

Rey’s heart broke for Finn and was surprised that he accurately guessed who she loved. But she had to tell Finn the truth so that he could move on with his life just life she was. She got into the taxi and gave the driver Leia Organa’s address and went to her new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben has woken up to a Rey-less home, and he doesn't know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I AM WRITING THE EPILOGUE RIGHT NOW!!!   
> I can't believe how much you all liked the story and I am so happy and sad to see it end!  
> I have a few things in the works, I promise I will get back to the Mummy Reylo story right after my Finals are done.

Chapter 26

 

Ben 

 

“Where could she have gone at midnight? Everything is closed at that time, why would she leave?” Ben yelled, while pacing the floor of the study he kicked a stack of books next to his desk with frustration. 

 

Ben had woken up at 7am and went down for breakfast where he was served tea instead of coffee, the issue had argued with Rey the night before. He went to Rey’s room to ask why she didn’t tell Ms. Phasma about the change in his breakfast menu, but when he knocked the door swung open to reveal a perfectly made bad and no sign of her. He looked around her room and saw that her clothes were gone from her closet and drawers, Ben began to panic. He rushed down stairs and asked everyone if they had seen her since the previous night, but no one had. Now Ms. Phasma, Poe and himself were holed up in the study trying to figure out where Rey would have run off too.

 

“Did either of you say anything to her after I went to bed?” Ms. Phasma asked fiercely, her normally slicked back blonde hair was messy and she was still in her pajamas, Ben would have laughed at her appearance if his stomach wasn’t in knots. 

 

Poe shook his head and looked over at Ben, who could feel a deep blush growing across his cheeks.

 

“Well we did have a chat before I went to bed.” Ben said quietly, avoiding his companions’ glares while focusing on the floor.

 

“What did you say to her?” Ms. Phasma said with a clipped and angry tone. 

 

“Well, I came back down to tell you about a change to my breakfast menu and she started calling me Mr. Solo. I told her to stop and she asked about her position here and if she was to be a paid whore, which I have no idea where that came from. And we may have argued about her place here, but I told her we would talk about it in the morning and now she’s gone.” Ben rambled and sat down in his desk chair. 

 

“Ben Solo you can be such an asshole.” Poe remarked, he held his head in his hands. 

 

Ben glared at his friend and was ready to yell at him when Ms. Phasma spoke up.

 

“You are both assholes. Last night when the three of returned home, neither of you complimented her or said a thing to her. You both sat there stroking each other’s egos not caring how she risked everything to a part of this experiment. Now you two better go find her and bring her home or else I will quit and never come back.” She yelled and walked out of the room.

 

Ben looked down at his desk, shame and regret settling on his shoulders. Rey’s white gloves were balled up on his desk, he gingerly picked one up and held it delicately. Her hands were so small compared to his, tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of him never bring able to hold them again.

 

“You better make this right Ben. You must be the one to talk to her and bring her home, she loves you and it’s obvious that you love her. You need to show her! I’ll call my friend at the Republic Police Station to see if they’ve seen her.” Poe said while reaching for the telephone on the stand next to the couch.

 

Ben stood from his desk and walked to the study door.

 

“I miss her.” Ben whispered. 

 

Poe looked at him with an exasperated expression.

 

“I miss her too but standing here is not helping the situation. Go change and visit your mother’s too see if she went there.” Poe said before returning to focus on the phone call. 

 

Ben nodded and ran up the stairs to his room. He quickly changed into a tan suit with a white button-down shirt and a black tie, a casual suit that he knew Rey liked. He went downstairs to notify Ms. Phasma and Poe that he was going to go search for Rey, starting at his mother’s house and then traveling to where he had first met Rey. He would travel to every location he had a moment with Rey, he would search the world to find her because she is his world. 

 

As he entered the study, he heard Poe talking to the Republic Police on the phone. 

 

“She’s about five-foot five-inches.” Poe said.

 

“She’s five-foot seven-inches.” Ben corrected, walking over his desk to get his wallet.

 

“Oh, she’s actually five-foot seven-inches actually.” Poe said to the officer. “Her hair? Well, it’s a nondescript color actually, but it’s…”

 

“Brown, her hair his brown.” Ben corrected again, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 

He found his wallet and began walking to the study door.

 

“Oh, it’s brown. Her eye’s? Well again they are a nondescript color, but it’s definitely a mix of …” Poe rambled on.

 

“BROWN, BROWN, BROWN! She has beautiful brown eyes that has a few green speckles in it when they are lit up by the morning sun. Her hair is a dark brown with light brown highlights that soften her features. Her hair is the softest feeling in the world and I just want to hold her forever and never let her go!” Ben yelled before storming out of his home and began walking to his mothers’ home to find the love of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey spent the night at Leia and Han's home, trying to convice herself she made the right decision to leave. What will happen to reseolve when Ben comes around?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my beauties!!   
> This weekend Rise of Skywalker comes out!! I am so excited to see it, I won't see it until Christmas Eve though.   
> The story is almost over but I have a oneshot I'm working on and I promise to update The Mummy soon!!   
> My finals are over and I passed with 2 B's and an A. Next step is DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM!!!!

Chapter 27

 

Rey

 

“Are you telling me that Ben and Poe said nothing to you after the ball? Not even a ‘Well Done’ or a pat on the back?” Leia gasped and stirred her tea.

 

“Not a word.” Rey replied with a sigh.

 

Rey had arrived at Leia and Han’s home around 1 in the morning. Han answered the door and immediately ushered Rey in and let her stay in a guest room for the night. That morning at breakfast she had recounted the night before to Ben’s parents, which was an odd experience because they openly chastised Ben and sympathized with Rey, nobody had taken her side before. She felt love and care from these the couple before her, when she had first met Leia, she was terrified of the former Prime Minister but now she could see that Leia showed her affection in different ways and cared deeply for the people she loved. Rey felt lucky to be loved by Leia like that, their relationship had grown and evolved since they first met at the Canto Bight Race’s. 

 

“If I was in your place Rey, I would have yelled at him and made him feel terrible for treating me that way.” Han said before eating a scone.

 

Rey really liked Han, he was a nice change from the stuffy and uptight upper-class people she had been around for the past couple months. She could tell that her and Han had a similar life experience and the fact that they were both able to grow from they were and survive in the upper-class made Rey instantly feel relaxed with him. 

 

Rey giggles and took a sip of her tea, honestly, she had a few choice words for Ben that she wanted to tell him last night, but she didn’t have the nerve to tell him. A knock on the front door stopped Rey’s laugh and her heart began to race, threatening to jump out of her chest. Rey stomach did a flip at the thought that Ben could be behind the door, she scolded herself for wishful thinking and her dependence on him. Han and Leia talked to each other, but their words fell on deaf ears, Rey listened intently to Ms. Artoo at the door. A few seconds later the stout woman entered the dining room and cleared her throat.

 

“Ben Solo is here to see you Ms. Organa.” Ms. Artoo said with a nod. 

 

“Oh dear, Rey you don’t need to see him if you don’t want to.” Leia looked at Rey with a concerned expression.

 

“It’s alright Ms. Organa, I want to tell him why. He deserves to know why I left.” Rey said after taking a deep breathe.

 

“Alright dear, I’ll bring him to the greenhouse. Go there now and I’ll bring him in there.” Leia got up and left the room.

 

Rey stood from her seat and took a long deep breathe, trying to calm her shaking hands and nerves. Han grabbed her hand and squeezed it and gave her a shining smile when she looked down at him. 

 

“Give him hell kiddo.” 

 

Rey smiled and squeezed his hand back before leaving the room and running to the covered greenhouse located at the back of the house. When she got into the room, she found a white wicker chair and sat down, she straightened her purple dress out with shaky hands. Rey wanted to come off as calm and cool with her decision to be here, she didn’t want him to think that she was a wreck without him. She could hear Ben’s voice reverberate through the halls, her stomach twisted into knots and her hands began to shake more visibly. She watched Ben’s large shadow walk down the hallway before she saw him enter the doorway. 

 

“Mother, I just need to find her. Have you seen…Rey?” Ben stopped talking when he saw her, his mouth hung open and his eyes were wide. 

 

“I think I’ll leave you two to talk.” Leia whispered and patted Ben on the arm. She winked at Rey and left them alone. 

 

Rey stood from her seat and looked up at her former teacher.

 

“Hello Mr. Solo, how kind of you to visit.” She said with the fakest smile. 

 

“What are you doing here Rey? Why did you leave?” Ben’s voice cracked on the last sentence and so did Rey’s heart. 

 

She looked at Ben deeply and saw that his face was like stone, no emotion behind his eyes. Nothing. Her heart break turned to stone, she resolved herself not to show her heart to him. 

 

“My time with you was done. Our experiment was over, you made that very clear last night.” She walked over to a rose bush and started pruning the plant. 

 

“Rey, I said I was glad that the experiment was over. Not that you should leave. Why would you leave me?” He walked over to her, towering over her. 

 

She looked up into his dark brown eyes and sighed a shaky breath. 

 

“What a fool I was, what a dominated fool to think you were the earth and sky. I fell in love with you and I was enamored with you. But you my friend are not the beginning and the end. I was on my own before and I can be on my own again. I shall not feel alone without you. I can stand on my own without you. So, go back to your books and speech contraptions because I can do bloody well without…”

 

Ben started to laugh, a deep throaty laugh.

 

Ben

 

Ben couldn’t help but laugh, this was the Rey who demanded that he teach her how to speak ‘proper’. He may have taught her how to speak properly and dress like a lady, but she was the same person underneath it all. Rey stared at him with fire in her eyes, her face and ears as red as the roses she was pruning. When he saw her a few minutes ago he was filled with happiness, anger and confusion. Too many questions filled his head, but he couldn’t tell her the only thing he had been holding in for months, I love you. After hearing her passionate speech about he couldn’t help but laugh with relief, she was in love with him too. 

 

“There’s not an idea in your head or a word in your mouth that I haven’t put there. What would you do on your own?” He asked, prodding her for information. 

 

“I will teach what you do, maybe work with Armitage Hux.” She spat.

 

Ben laughed again at the thought of her working with the odious ginger.

 

“Really? And who will you have conversations like we do? Nobody has my wit or knowledge to spare with you on a daily basis.” He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. 

 

“Finn Storm. He has already proposed to me and I will say yes.” She said with a sly smile. 

 

Marry Finn Storm? MARRY FINN STORM, why would she do an idiotic thing like that?

 

“Ah, go waste your like and talent on a pathetic class climber. Why marry him? Why not marry a Prince?” He questioned.

 

“I’d marry you if you had the decency to ask.” Rey yelled.

 

They stood in silence and let the statement wash over them. 

 

“Rey you are magnificent. Yesterday, you were a millstone around my neck, and now you’re a tower of strength. I like you this way.” He said, staring into her eyes. 

 

Her beautiful brown eyes watered on the edges as she shook her head and looked down. 

 

“Goodbye Mr. Solo. You shall not be seeing me again.” She turned and walked out of the greenhouse. 

 

Ben stood alone in the greenhouse for a few minutes, he walked over to the wicker chair and held onto it tight. He tried to ground himself to the moment, the love of his life just walked out his life forever.

 

“MOTHER!” He yelled.

 

His mother and father ran into the room and stared at him.

 

“What is it Ben? Leia asked.

 

“What happened?” Han questioned.

 

“She’s gone.” He whispered, looking at them for guidance or advice.

 

“Well, of course, Ben, what did you expect?” Leia huffed. 

 

“What…what am I to do?” Ben whispered again.

 

“Do without, I suppose.” Han said with a shrug.

 

Ben stood up straighter and focused on what he could do now. 

 

“And so, I shall! Let her go, I can do without her. I can do without anyone. I have my own soul! My own spark of divine fire!” He stormed out of the room.

 

He heard his mother whisper, “Bravo Rey” as he walked out without a clue of what to do now that Rey wasn’t waiting for him at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is going home when he makes a sudden realization...he's grown accustomed to her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost done guys!! And Happy Holidays to everyone! I will be seeing TROS tomorrow so I have been actively avoiding spoilers.

Chapter 28 

 

Ben

 

Ben walked out of his mother’s house and began walking down the street. He was fueled with anger and his passionate speech he had just told his parents. He tried to hide his heartache, he didn’t know what to do or where to go he just needed to clear his mind and try not to focus on what he just lost. His feet led him down the familiar route back to his home, his now Rey-less home. His chest hurt with the thought of her not walking through the halls of his home. What was the point of going back if she wouldn’t be there? He needed to focus on anything else instead of Rey, he needed to change his point of view or else he would breakdown. 

 

“Damn! Damn! Damn! I’ve grown accustomed to her face.” Ben said as he stopped mid-step, the realization hitting him like a wall of bricks. 

 

Ben was now standing on the street a few blocks from his home, he could see his stoop from where he currently stood. He remembered escorting Rey down those steps whenever they would go out for the night. He loved those moments where he could hold her hand, hiding it under the guise of social convention and gentleman standards. 

 

“Rey almost makes the day begin. I’ve grown accustomed to the tune that she whistles night and noon.” He slowly walked toward his home, letting the winter air go through him. The weather had begun to change into a cold and dark storm, a perfect reflection of his current emotional state.

 

“Her smiles, her frowns, her ups and downs. Are second nature to me now; like breathing out and breathing in.” Ben arrived at his home and looked up at the large estate, like an empty tomb. He sat down on his stoop and let the last few months dance through his mind like a ghostly dance. 

 

“I was serenely independent and content before we met; surely I could always be that way again. And yet- I’ve grown accustomed to her look; accustomed to her voice; accustomed to her face.” He said with a sigh. 

 

Ben felt a hot wet tear fall down his cheek and onto his hand. It had been years since he had cried, he used to be a fortress. He was impenetrable, closing off his emotions long ago preventing him from getting hurt, he was proud of what he had become. But Rey came into his life and knocked every one of his walls down and had planted flowers of love within him. As a kid he was isolated and bullied by his classmates, from that time he knew that was what his life was most likely going to stay that way. He had given up on the idea of anyone falling in love with him, he was sarcastic and could be aggressive from time to time, no woman could love a man like that. When he met Rey, he had finally met his match, the aggression that they had towards each other had grown into friendship and then blossomed into love, at least on his end. Rey had given him hope and love, a possible companion who could challenge him and he could challenge her. Rey excited and intrigued Ben every single day, he didn’t want to lose her. 

 

Ben let out another sigh and looked down the street, hoping to get a glance of Rey coming home but the street was currently empty. Ben closed his eyes tightly and tried to conjure her into existence but when he opened his eyes, nothing and nobody was there. He stood up slowly and turned to enter his home, the hall was empty and dark, a deathly silence sat over his house. He called out for Ms. Phasma, Poe and Mr. Threepio but only silence followed, everyone was out looking for Rey. Ben walked through his home, slowly adjusting himself back into the silence, he would have to get used to the silence again. The thought of no longer hearing Rey’s humming or her cheerful Hello’s filled Ben’s chest with grief, he knew it would take a while to get used to the silence, that it was inevitable, but he didn’t want to. 

 

Ben entered his study and walked over to his desk, he sat down roughly in his chair, he closed his eyes and fought back the tears that threatened to pour out. He didn’t want to cry, he didn’t want to cry over a woman, he had promised himself years ago not to become attached and here he was in love with Rey. Ben opened his eyes and looked down at his desk and saw Rey’s ball gown gloves still laying on his desk, a sob got caught in his throat. He glared down at the gloves and allowed the small spark of anger in his chest grow and bubble till it erupted, he remembered Rey’s ill-conceived plan. 

 

“’Marry Finn’ What an infantile idea! She’ll regret it, it’s doomed before they even take the vow!” He said with a loud wicked laugh. Ben threw Rey gloves over his desk and onto the floor.

 

“Marry Finn, HA!” He leaned back in his chair.

 

The outburst of anger slowly fizzled away and left his chest with an empty and aching feeling, the anger was replaced with grief and sadness. Ben’s eyes filled with tears, the hot liquid began streaming down his face. He stood up and walked around his desk and dropped to his knees in front of the gloves, he picked them up and held them next to his face. The gloves dried his tears and he could smell Rey’s floral perfume lingering on the satin fabric, they were the only pieces of her she had left behind when she left and he would keep them until the day he died. 

 

“But I’m so used to hear her say ‘Good Morning’ every day. Her joys, her woes, her highs, her lows are second nature to me now. Like breathing out and breathing in.” He got up slowly from his kneeling position. 

 

Ben stood and walked over to his large lounge chair and sat down.

 

“I’m very grateful she’s a woman and so easy to forget; rather like a habit one can break- “Ben choked, his heart knew it wasn’t true. “And yet, I’ve grown accustomed to the trace of something in the air; accustomed to her face.”

 

The tears continued to flow freely down his cheeks and onto his hands that were still holding on tightly to the satin gloves. What was he going to do now? Ben was alone, utterly and completely alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben are both hurt by their own decisions, will a quiet walk help them sort out their feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  
> Hope you guys had a safe and healthy New Year Celebration, I went to bed at 9 pm.  
> I saw TROS last week and I have thoughts, if you want to hear them go to the end notes.

Chapter 29

 

Rey

 

Rey rushed past Ben in the greenhouse, holding in a sob that was threatening to tear through her chest. Leaving the Ben in the greenhouse was the most difficult decision she had ever made; her brain was resolved in its decision, but her heart screamed at her to turn around and jump into his arms. Rey’s heart broke with every step that she took while going to the guest room, she shut the door and locked it.

 

She went over to the bed and laid down, her mind filled to the brim with every memory of her and Ben from the last few months. How could a man she had met in such a short time turn her entire life on its head? Why had she let this come to pass? Rey felt a few hot tears on her cheeks as she thought over her relationship with Ben. When they first met, she hated him, he was rude and held himself up on such a high pedestal that he was delusional about how great he was. Now, Ben had softened up to her and let her into his guarded walls, just like she had opened to him. Together they grew from the shells that they showed to the world and became who they truly were, a balanced pair. It hurt her to think that he didn’t need her after the experiment, but if he didn’t need her than why did he come to find her? Rey was confused, did he come here to try and bring her home? Rey groaned as she thought about her false bravado speech, she had given to him, did he no longer want her now that he thought she was over him?

 

Rey sat up slowly and wiped her tears, looking out the window the sky had become darker with the threat of nightfall coming. Rey needed to clear her head and being coped up in this room was not going to help, she grabbed her coat and left the guest room. On her way to the front door she passed Han, who was sitting in a lounge chair by the front door reading a newspaper.

 

“I’m going to go on a walk to clear my head.” Rey said quietly, inching her way to the door.

 

“Rey, you take all the time you need, we are here for you kid. But can I give you some advice before you go?” Han said in his gruff voice.

 

Rey nodded and turned to face him, Han and Ben looked so much alike, just an older silver-haired version of Ben.

 

“Try to listen to Ben, he doesn’t know how to express his feelings. It’s partly because Leia and I didn’t listen or encourage him to express them when he was a kid. I’m not telling you this so that you will be guilted into forgiving him, but I just want you to take it into consideration. If you do see him, please give him a chance, I can tell he loves you more than anything in the world.” Han said, his eyes threatening to spill as he reviled the sins of his parenting style.

 

All Rey could do was nod, holding back tears that threatened to spill over. She rushed to the front door and left the residence, standing on the stoop she looked from her left to her right, trying to decide which way to go. Something in her gut told her to walk to the right, she walked down the stoop and began to walk. Rey breathed in the crisp winter air, the wind blowing through her hair and making her fingers cold. The street lamps began to turn on as she walked, today had been long and tiresome, but this walk invigorated something inside her. Rey walked, not caring about the destination but letting her legs and heart guide her to wherever she may go.

 

Ben

 

It was getting late but something inside of Ben made him go out for a walk to clear his head. He had left his house and walked to his left, his feet leading him back towards his mother’s house. All he wanted to do was go back to his mother’s and beg for Rey’s forgiveness and beg her to come back home. But he knew he had to respect her decision to move on with her life, no matter how much it killed him inside.  
The street lamps began to turn on and he could feel the wind blow through his chest, he had put on a winter coat before he left. Nobody had come home during the time he was there, his heart made him get out of the house so he wouldn’t wallow in his grief. He was staring at the lamps when he accidentally ran into someone. Ben looked down to apologize, but when he saw who it was his mouth went dry.

 

Rey

 

Rey looked up at the person she had just ran into while walking down the street, her mind was focused on her problems so much so that she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. She looked up to apologize to the stranger, but she was looking up at the familiar eyes of Ben Solo. Her heart skipped a beat and hammered in her chest, they were so close. Rey instinctively took a step back and looked up at Ben, his face was red and puffy as if he had just been crying. His normally clear brown eyes had red accents, causing Rey’s heart to contract as if she was feeling the same pain he was. Silence lingered between them, nothing uncomfortable but a lot of tension was in between them. Rey cleared her throat and spoke first.

 

Ben

 

“Ben, are you ok?” Rey asked, her voice horse.  
Ben couldn’t help but stare at her, her eyes were red and puffy with fresh tear stains on her cheeks. His heart broke with the knowledge that it was his fault that she was like that.  
“I’m … I’m not ok.” Ben said earnestly with a shake of his head.  
“Do you want to talk about it?” Rey asked, he big brown eyes looking up lovingly into his.  
Ben nodded and they began walking back toward his home, he looked ahead and stared at the street lamps, trying to focus on anything other than Rey’s warm hand casually brushing against his. He wanted to hold her hand so much, but he thought that would be a step too far right now.

 

Rey

 

They walked in silence, Rey’s mind bounced between wishing she could take his hand as they walked and wanting to prod him with so many questions. Why was he walking this late? Why wasn’t he ok? Did he feel the same way she did?  
Rey tried to calm herself down and focus on the street lamps, a constant on their silent walk.  
“Street lamp, dim glow. A light to blanket night like summer snow. Well, let it pour just cover up whatever came before.” Rey whispered to herself, and absentmindedly began to hum under her breath.

 

Ben

 

“Bum bum bum bum bum, bum-bum-bum, bum, bum bum.” Rey hummed under her breath.  
Ben sighed and felt a smile creep across his face, Rey was back next to him. In a few hours he had missed her quirks so much that this relaxed him more than anything else.  
“Blank slate, blank stare. Yeah, you made her cry, why didn’t you care? What took hold? Look at her, she looks so-cold.” Ben thought to himself before mustering up the courage to say something to Rey.  
“I’m sorry I said terrible things to you Rey, you were never just an experiment. You are more than anything I could ever dream of.” He whispered, looking down at her.  
Rey looked up and cracked a small smile.  
“Thank you, Ben. I need you to meet me halfway, talk to me as your equal now and treat me as such. Because I like being with you, but I don’t know where to go from here.” Rey said with a smile.  
Ben’s heart flipped with happiness, Rey liked him! Rey liked being with him, he would do anything to have her stay in his life.  
“Yes, I will treat you as my equal and nothing less. I don’t know where to go from here either.” Ben admitted, he could feel his smile growing.  
“Let’s just walk.” Rey suggested, lacing her fingers in between his and squeezed it.  
Rey was holding his hand! Ben couldn’t believe what was going on, they were going to start over again as equals and he was more than willing to start over.  
“Would you like to go on a date with me?” Ben asked after a few minutes of walking hand in hand in silence.  
“I would like that very much Ben.” Rey replied immediately, with a squeeze of her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *TROS SPOILERS*
> 
> So... TROS KILLED BEN FUCKING SOLO!!!!! I am so pissed at that, and it was basically an Return of the Jedi all over again!! And the end fight scene was so short and ugghhh I can't describe how much I didn't enjoy it. I will see it again because I'm a glutton for punishment and I love Adam Drivers face. 
> 
> Follow Me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow Me on Tumblr @marmar1917


	30. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so happy you all liked the story, I hope you like the ending too!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait to post this another day!!

Epilogue 

 

2 Years Later

 

Rey 

 

Rey was sitting on the couch in front of a roaring fireplace in Naboo, her feet were propped up on the coffee table and a flannel blanket was covering her legs. It was currently 10:30 pm and she was about ready to go to bed, Rey fought off the calls of sleep waiting for her husband to finish with his lesson plan. Ben stood up from his desk and walked over to Rey and kissed her head. A few years back she would have thought this was a dream that she never wanted to wake up from, but now it was real life. 

 

Over the past two years, hers and Ben’s relationship had grown and blossomed into a healthy relationship. The night after she left, they walked the streets of London and talked for hours until they arrived back at Leia’s house, Rey stayed at Leia’s that night but moved back in with Ben the next day. They started to work on a friendship first and letting each other slowly enter their lives. Everyday brought new challenges and exciting adventures for them to overcome, Ben and Rey opened a program to help young people living on the street make better lives for themselves. 

 

They started dating a few months after their reconciliation, living in the same house had some up’s and downs. The high-class society was appalled that they were living together and not married, but Leia approved and that was all that mattered to her. Leia and Han had become close friends and family to her, every week her and Ben would go over to their home for dinner. Over time Han and Ben had grown close and were now on casual speaking terms, Leia and Rey saw that as the best thing to come out of this relationship. 

 

Within a few months of dating Ben had proposed to Rey in the middle of his mother’s greenhouse, promising her to be hers forevermore. Rey cried and ran into his arms, unable to contain the happiness that flowed out of her. They were married less than a month later, on the porch of Ben’s grandparents’ house in Naboo. Rey wore Ben’s grandmother’s wedding dress, it fit like a glove. They only invited Han, Leia, Poe and Ms. Phasma to see them wed. They said their vows at sunset overlooking the ocean, it was a perfect day and they couldn’t wait to spend the rest of their lives together.

 

Today they were spending their first anniversary in the place where they were wed, relaxing by the ocean was the perfect way to celebrate their love. Rey looked up at Ben and smiled, his face had become more relaxed since they had been married. 

 

“You ready for bed love?” Ben asked.

 

“Yes, dear. But first come sit with me.” Rey said, pulling the blanket from seat next to her.

 

Ben came over and sat next to her, Rey reached for his hand a put it on her extended stomach. She was currently 6 months pregnant with twins, another dream Rey never thought would come true, becoming a mother. The babies kicked against their father’s hand, they always could tell when he was near. Ben smiled and kissed her on the cheek and then whispered in her ear.

 

“My love, I never thought I could be this happy in all my life.”

 

“Me too dear.”

 

Ben kissed Rey on the lips, the tenderness never faltering since they had first started dating. Rey was beyond in love with her life and the man who had changed her forever, in more ways than she could’ve imagined. 

 

Ben helped Rey up from her seat on the couch and walked with her to their bedroom, Ben kissed her again. Rey finally felt at home with the man she loved and the family they were growing, she couldn’t wait to see what would become of their beautiful family in the years to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the amazing support and comments, I read every single one!   
> I plan on writing some more stories, mainly one-shots based on some songs that call out to me.   
> And I will write more of the Mummy! I swear.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Instagram @marmar1917 and @marmarreads  
> Follow me on Tumblr https://marmar1917.tumblr.com/


End file.
